Blurred Lines
by Charahfan44
Summary: When Caskett's oldest child, Lily, gets taken by a serial killer, will they be able to get her back? I do not own Castle, no copywright infringement intended!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know, I know; I've started yet another story. I've just recently finished an eight season binge of this show, and I didn't realize how much I've missed the characters. Now, in this story, I'm trying my hand at something new as a writer. I'm splitting my chapters between first person and third person. While the character of Lily has the main viewpoint, my side stories are going to stay third person. If this gets to be too confusing, I can change it. I wasn't sure if the Caskett kids were already named, so I looked it up. Low and behold, two of them were credited in the final episode! I found Reese from a fan site, and decided to keep it. Anyway, I hope this story generates an audience. If not, I'll probably scrap it. Here's to my introduction into the Castle fandom! I welcome any feedback :)**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **The Year 2032**

My parents are probably the most driven, loving, and incomparable people you'll ever meet. They first met back in 2009, which is what I refer to as "The Stone Age". Mom still rolls her eyes at me when I say it, and dad laughs. I think what makes them so great together is that they're complete opposites. My mother, Katherine Beckett, is as serious as they come. Don't get me wrong, she knows how to have a good time, but she doesn't search out a joke like dad does. She's been the Captain of the 12th Precinct in New York for almost seventeen years now. She became captain back in 2016, and she's been running the town ever since. My father, Richard Castle, is anything but serious. He's a mystery writer, but lately he's lost his touch. He wrote a book about a year ago, and it flopped so hard that his publicist almost dropped him. I don't think it really bugs him all that much though, because he gets to be apart of me and my brothers' lives. Mom had me in early 2017, and they always tell me I was planned. I don't know that I believe them, because they were anything but prepared. My twin brothers, Jake and Reese, came three years later. By the time mom and dad finally got the parenting thing down, the boys were already on their way. As a family, we're pretty crazy, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

This story starts on a rainy Thursday afternoon in September. Dad always tells us to keep a journal and document everything that happens in our lives, because it could lead to a novel. I'm glad he's been nagging us about it, because this journal might be the most important thing in my life right now. Anyway, back to the Thursday this all started. I woke up at seven o'clock in the morning, like usual, as it gave me ample time to be at school by nine. Sometimes my parents would take me, and sometimes I would take the bus. Today, mom had time.

"You up?" I heard her voice on the other side of my bedroom door, proceeded by a knock.

"Yeah." I said back.

"Dad's making pancakes, you better hurry before the boys eat it all." Her voice got softer as I heard her footsteps walking away. I hurriedly put on my favorite beat up Guns n' Roses t-shirt, a pair of faded blue skinny jeans, and my checkered Vans. I never usually put on a ton of make up, just some light eye shadow and liner. My hair was a different story. Thanks to mom's genes, my hair was thick. It was a bitch do style every day, so I threw it into a quick high ponytail. I rushed out of my bedroom, and grabbed my back pack. The rest of the family were sitting at the table.

"Look who decided to join us." Dad smiled at me.

"Oh please, I only took like two seconds." I rolled my eyes at his dramatic comment.

"Boys, did you time her today?" He looked to the twins.

"Six point five minutes." Reese proudly looked to his fifth generation Apple Watch.

"I got seven on the dot." Jake added. I looked to my mom, hoping for some support.

"Seven and a half for me." She laughed.

"Great, let's all gang up on Lily today." I huffed, grabbing two pancakes from the kitchen counter.

"You know we're just having fun." Dad said.

"Yeah, well, just be ready for when I decide to get you back." I shot him a look, sitting next to my mother.

"Yeah, dad, you should be so scared." Reese said sarcastically.

"Why don't you tell that to your night light?" I looked to my little brother.

"Hey! We said that was off limits!" He shouted.

"Alright, all of you be quiet eat your food." Mom raised her voice, causing us kids to get quiet. Out of our parents' good cop/bad cop duo, mom was definitely bad cop. We took her mom voice seriously.

"So, Kate, any fun cases lately?" Dad tried to change the mood.

"I wouldn't say fun, but we have one that's certainly interesting." She replied, taking a sip of coffee.

"Like a cereal killer?" Reese held up his bowl and laughed.

"You couldn't just eat pancakes like the rest of us, could you?" I groaned. Reese and Jake shared a high five, as mom and dad looked at each other. I looked around my breakfast table and couldn't help but feel grateful. I loved my crazy family, and I wouldn't realize just how much until I never thought I would see them again. After breakfast, mom grabbed her coat and shuffled us down to the car. Dad stayed behind in order to work on his next story. He promised his publisher that this one would be better. Mom always offered to let him shadow her at the 12th again, but he refused. After the two of them almost died in 2016, he promised my older sister, Alexis, and my late grandmother Martha, that he'd stay away from the detective lifestyle. Mom, however, couldn't stay away.

"Give it back!" They boys fought in the back seat of the car.

"Knock it off." Mom warned, backing out of our driveway. They immediately fell silent. I watched the trees fly by my window, my mind drifting. "You okay?" Mom asked, sensing my shift in mood.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"Uh oh." She joked. "About what?"

"I don't know. Something feels off." I couldn't place my finger on the feeling.

"Like what?"

"If I knew the answer to that, I'd tell you."

"You better shake it off, you've got a big test today." She always remembered my academic schedule.

"Right." I was thankful she kept up with my studies. "Also, I have my soccer game at six, so I'm going to stay at school until then."

"Did you pack snacks?"

"Yep."

"Which means no." She raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be fine. I can grab something from the vending machine."

"Lily, that is the least healthy option there is. I'll have dad swing by at lunch with food for you."

"Okay." I smiled. Like I said, my parents were caring. Mom dropped me off at the high school, where I studied my sophomore classes. The boys were still in junior high, and had another year there before coming to the big leagues.

"Call me after your game, okay?" She said, watching me climb out of the passengers seat.

"You're not coming?" I asked.

"I'm going to try my hardest, but we're working on something pretty big at the precinct. It may keep me tied up tonight." She looked sympathetic.

"Fine." I closed the door, and turned to walk away.

"Hey," She rolled down the car window and called after me, "Knock em' dead." She gave a slight wink, and drove off. I didn't want to be mad at her, but sometimes it felt as though her job took priority over everything else. I sighed, held onto the straps of my back pack, and walked into the school. I wouldn't say I was popular, but I definitely wasn't a geek either. I had three best friends, one of which I just recently started dating. I hadn't exactly let my mom or dad in on that little tidbit of information, because I didn't want my boyfriend to go through an interrogation. My best friend since preschool, Kelly, was an old soul. She liked ancient bands, believed in Buddha, and acted way older than she was. But, I liked her. She always gave the best advice. Then there was Mark, the total jock. He played tennis, basketball, and soccer. He had a new girlfriend every week, and he was friends with everyone. Last but not least, was Elliot. My blonde haired, blue eyed babe.

"Lily!" I heard Kelly's voice first.

"Hey, Kell." I greeted my best friend with a hug.

"You excited for your game tonight?"

"I guess."

"Kate isn't going?" She knew all too well what my "mom-isn't-coming-again" face looked like.

"She's busy."

"Oh, come on. She can take three seconds to watch her kid play soccer. I like Kate, but sometimes her priorities are out of sorts." She frowned.

"Dad will be there." I wiggled my eyebrows. Kelly though my dad was a total fox.

"Why didn't you warn me?" She yelled. "Rick can't see me like this!" She looked down at her laid back outfit.

"I really don't think he's looking." I smirked.

"Well hello there, ladies." Mark put one arm around each of us. "What are we talking about?"

"The game tonight."

"Oh, right!"

"Don't tell me you forgot?" I looked at him.

"Uh, no. I was just messing with you." He laughed. The bell suddenly rang, and we all rushed to our classes. My first one of the day was AP Lang, and Elliot just so happened to be in it. I smiled when we made eye contact as I walked through the doorway of the room.

"You didn't text me back this morning." He said.

"You know how my parents are about phones at the table." I responded.

"You can't sneak it?" He smiled.

"Dude, my mom's the captain of her own precinct. You wanna ask me that again?" I laughed.

"True." We laughed together for a minute, then fell silent as our teacher took the floor. The class was boring, but I liked English. Like dad, I had a knack for writing. The rest of the day went by slowly, as did most game days. Dad dropped off some granola bars and a sandwich for me during my lunch period. My algebra two test went better than I had expected, which made me more mentally prepared for the game.

"I'm gonna go home for a bit, but I'll be back before kick off." Kelly caught up with me after the last bell rang.

"Cool, I'll see you later." I left her to snag one last conversation with Elliot. He was standing at his locker, frowning at a piece of paper. "Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just didn't get a good grade on this English paper." He sighed.

"I'm sure the next one will be better." I assured him, rubbing his arm.

"You're probably right." He smiled at me. "I'll be at the game tonight."

"Duh. You're obligated to go, you know."

"Oh am I?"

"You're dating the star forward, everyone will be expecting you." I quipped. A brief pause in our conversation caused him to plant a kiss on my lips. We had just shared our first kiss about a week ago, so this one made my heart flutter.

"Gotta do it now, since you still haven't told your parents about us." He said playfully, breaking the silence.

"I'll tell them tonight, I promise." Little did I know, I wouldn't get the chance.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Kate dropped the boys off right on time. If anything, she could explain their tardies, but didn't want to use her badge for special treatment. It would've been easier for Rick to take the kids every day, but she didn't want to miss out on everything. Luckily, she could speed to the precinct without being pulled over. When she arrived, Ryan and Esposito were already waiting for her.

"Hey, Cap." Espo greeted her, holding a file in his hand.

"What do ya got?" She asked, entering her office and taking her coat off.

"A new suspect." Ryan chimed in. This new case had come in just two days before. A serial killer on the loose who targeted married women with money. This guy had strategically planned out every case, and had murdered five women so far. By the time Beckett and the team had figured out the connections between four of the murders, he killed another one.

"Derek Peters?" Beckett took the file from her detective.

"He was seen having dinner with the last victim a few weeks ago. That's the M/O. Wine and dine the lonely wealthy ladies, and then kill them once he gains their trust."

"Do we have him with any of the other vics?" Beckett asked.

"Not yet, but we'll get him." Espo responded.

"Go ahead and bring him in for some questions. If he's hiding anything, we'll get it out of him."

"You got it, cap." The guys grabbed their coats, and left the precinct. Kate disappeared to her office, where she did all of her best thinking. She couldn't help but feel bad about the way she had left things with Lily that morning. She should be spending more time with family than at the 12th.

"Knock knock." Castle's voice filled her ears.

"Castle?" She looked up from her desk. "What're you doing here?"

"I just had a feeling this is where I needed to be today. Mind if I hang around?" He sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Of course not, you're always welcome here." She smiled. "How's the writing?"

"It took me all of an hour to realize I had nothing." He sighed. "I think I may take you up on your long standing offer."

"To come back?"

"Not officially, but maybe here and there."

"Castle, if you come back once, you'll never leave again." Beckett laughed.

"Oh contraire, my beautiful wife."

"We'll see about that." She challenged him.

"What are you working on?"

"Something you could probably help me with. We've got a killer targeting wealthy married women."

"So he's obviously from a wealthy background with mommy issues."

"Right. But he's so meticulous, we can't get any leads."

"He's bound to slip up. What do his vics have in common?"

"Besides the things I just said, they're brunette, about five foot six, and most of them are above average in looks."

"So, beautiful brown-haired women. You might want to sit this one out." He gave Beckett a mischievous Castle grin.

"I think I can handle it." She rolled her eyes.

"How long have you been chasing him?"

"Just a few days. Nothing was brought to our attention until we found Rachel Memphis' body."

"Did he want you to find it?"

"I don't think so. He hadn't slipped up before then, and I don't think he realized his mistake until now."

"What makes you say that?"

"Can I show you something?" She looked him straight in the eyes.

"Sure." He replied. Kate pulled a small box out of her top desk drawer, and placed it in front of Rick. He stared at it, excited to open it. When he got the nod from his wife, he quickly popped the small latch. "Ahh!" He let out a scream.

"Probably should've warned you." Kate couldn't help but find his reaction amusing.

"Is that a human finger?" He looked at the box in fear.

"I'm thinking it's from another victim. Laney is running the fingerprint through the system as we speak."

"When did you get this?"

"Yesterday."

"And you're keeping it in your desk?" Castle was beyond horrified.

"I don't want anyone to freak out."

"Like me?"

"He's trying to scare me. I'm going to be fine."

"How do you know that? This could be another 3XK."

"Castle, stop being so dramatic. This guy is nothing like Tyson."

"But you don't know that for sure. You have to go at this carefully."

"And I am." Her phone buzzed on the desk, causing her to pick it up. "Beckett."

"Hey, cap. Peters isn't home, but this place looks shady." Ryan's voice echoed on the other line.

"How shady?"

"We need a warrant."

"I'll be there soon." She hung up, and looked to her husband. "Look, you should go write something. At least a page. Make sure you pick up the boys and get to Lily's game, we can talk about the case when I get home." She stood up, heading for the door.

"Kate," Castle caught her arm, and looked into her eyes, "Promise me you won't go in there without a plan."

"It's me, I always have a plan." She winked, gave him a quick kiss, and disappeared into the shuffle of the precinct.

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

Before the game started, I had a weird feeling. The one I had felt in the car that morning, but didn't know how to explain. It was a feeling of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, and I chalked it down to pre-game nerves. My friends all repeatedly praised my skills, and that helped a bit, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. As I put my soccer uniform on in the locker rooms, I heard a noise. Just the sound of a creak in the old metal lockers...or so I thought. Before I knew it, a strong-smelling rag was being held to my face, and a body held me so tightly I couldn't move. Almost instantly, my world went to black.

I woke up in a dark place, possibly a basement. I was strapped to a chair by strong-adhesive duct tape, and my mouth was taped shut as well. I felt sweaty and gross as I tried to struggle free from the tape around my hands and feet, but had no luck.

"You can try all you want, but you aren't going anywhere." A man's voice filled my ears. "How does it feel? Are you afraid?" I watched as a brown-haired man stepped into the light. Man, was he scary. I half expected him to look like a maniacal lunatic, but was surprised by his put together appearance. His hair was slicked back with seemingly expensive gel, he was wearing a tailored suit, and his face was clean-shaven. The thing that stuck out the most were his eyes. They were terrifyingly blue. He walked up to me with a fierce confidence, and ripped the tape from my mouth. Holy hell, did it hurt.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep a strong front.

"Feisty, I like that." He laughed.

"My mom is a cop. She's going to put a bullet in your brain when she finds me." I spat, trying to cause some of his confidence to drop.

"Oh my dear little Castle," He bent down, his face only an inch away from mine, "She's the reason you're here." The words hit me like a ton of bricks. What did he mean by that?

"You're lying. She wouldn't put me here."

"Not to her knowledge, no. But her actions have consequences. I wonder how she'll feel, finding the body of her dear daughter, only minutes after figuring it all out?" His laugh made me cringe. "If she would've left things alone, we wouldn't be in this mess." He abruptly lost his temper.

"What are you talking about?"

"I had all of my girls in peace. But now, they're tracking me. And I don't like to be tracked." He paced in front of me. "Hopefully she'll understand the warning."

"Finding me dead is a warning?" I asked.

"I had fully intended to let you live, but you look so delicious." He gave me a creepy stare. "You look so much like them." His hand traced my cheek bone, and I almost barfed.

"Like who?"

"You'll understand soon." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" I shouted after him.

"In due time, sweet flower." With that, my world was dark once again, and I was alone.

* * *

 **Derek Peters' Apartment**

The team busted through the door as if they had done it millions of times before. Kate led them, tracing every inch of the apartment with her eyes before calling out to the rest of them.

"Clear!"

"See anything?" Ryan appeared at her side.

"Nothing yet." She replied, still looking around.

"Beckett, over here." She heard Esposito's voice from around the corner. She made her way to the sound, and noticed a plethora of computers hooked up on a large desk.

"What the hell is this?" She asked.

"It's footage. We think he's been watching his victims before murdering them." They all stared at the computer screens.

"Is this playback?"

"Looks that way. Nothing seems to be live." Espo frowned. "I don't think he expected us to find this place."

"He wasn't expecting us to realize he was the one at dinner, either. It was a slip up."

"That's what happens when these scumbags get cocky." Ryan growled.

"Let's get everything fingerprinted and copied for the lab. Maybe there's someone else in on this." Kate started to wander through the apartment, hoping to find something that led to his whereabouts. Suddenly, her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID before answering. "Hey, Castle. I'm in the middle of a search, can I call you back?"

"Have you heard from Lily?" His voice sounded worried on the other line.

"Not since I dropped her off this morning, why?"

"She's not here."

"What?"

"None of her teammates have seen her since school ended. Has she called you?"

"No." Kate started to feel uneasy.

"I'll keep trying her phone."

"I'll track it, hang on." She put Castle on speaker, and opened her tracking app. She had pinged Lily's phone the moment she got it. As she looked at the phone screen, her heart sank. "It says unavailable."

"How is that possible?"

"The signal isn't up."

"Does that mean it's off?"

"That means it's been disconnected."

"Beckett, you need to get in here!" She heard Ryan's voice this time, echoing from another part of the apartment. She rushed into the room, seeing the guys standing in front of a single computer screen.

"What is it?" She asked, still on the phone with her husband.

"He does have a live feed." Espo's face was grim as he turned to look at his captain. As soon as the guys moved from the screen, Kate's phone dropped out of her hand and hit the floor. A single word escaped her mouth as she looked at the screen in front of her.

"Lily."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Wow, what a great way to be introduced into this fandom! I'm getting some good reviews, and that definitely helps boost a writer's confidence. I know that some of you have a little hesitation against the fact that Rick wrote a dud, but it was only one. And most authors, even the good ones, have at least one of them. Not everyone is perfect all of the time! Anyway, thanks for the feedback, and thanks for reading. I'll keep this one going.**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

After what seemed like a few hours, I realized just how tired I was getting. My arms and legs felt like masses of goo, due to my constant struggling. The thing that made me the most mad, was the fact that my mom had prepared me for something like this. I let my mind drift to a flashback of us in our garage.

"You've got to follow through." Her words echoed.

"I'm trying." I replied.

"Come on," She helped me off the ground, "Focus. When I expand, you retract. When I retract, you expand."

"Why do we have to do this?"

"Because you never know what's going to happen."

"You're the one constantly putting yourself in danger, not me."

"But there's a chance someone will use you or your brothers to get to me. I'm sorry, but that's the reality." Boy, did she hate to sugar coat things.

"Fine." I was tired and cranky.

"Get mad if you want, just fight smart." She took her stance once again, and we continued the exercise. My thoughts became fuzzy, and my mind brought me back to the present. What I wouldn't give to be training with my mom in the garage now.

"Look who's back." The man smiled, his face close to mine. This caused me to snap completely back into focus.

"Great. You again." I grumbled.

"You know, I like you. You've got a certain something that I can't place my finger on." He smirked at me. I was getting real tired of his gross cocky facial expressions.

"That makes one of us."

"Feeling a bit fatigued, are we?" He changed the subject.

"I ate a pretty big lunch, so no." My words were clearer than I thought they would be.

"So you wouldn't want any of this water then?" He held up a bottle. I felt my eyes grow slightly wider as my stomach growled.

"Nope."

"More for me I guess." He tipped his head back and drank the whole thing. Was he an asshole or what? "I'm still deciding what I'm going to do with you. Your mommy and her team found my place, so I'm going to have to make it good."

"Make what good?" I asked. His eyes flicked up, and I noticed a camera hanging above his head.

"Smile, you're on live television." He smirk returned. I looked at the camera helplessly, knowing my mom was watching the whole thing. I had to figure out how to get a message to her without him noticing. "And don't even think about playing one of your secret tricks. I'll know what you're doing, and it may spark some rage."

"I'm fifteen. You think I know any secret detective tricks? Did someone skip school a little too much?" I sassed. This caused him to slap me across the face.

"Watch your mouth." He seethed. "Wouldn't want to lose your tongue."

"If you're going to kill me, just do it already. Isn't that what you do?"

"You're different." His tone shifted. Something about it seemed juvenile, adolescent even. "I've never met anyone quite like you, Lily Castle." He got closer to me, staring me up and down. His look made me shudder.

"Maybe because I'm a child." I glared at him.

"You've got spunk, maybe that's it." He laughed.

"I get it from my mom."

"Ah, Katherine Beckett. Or, should I say, Castle. That's bothered me, actually. If she is so devoted to Richard, why doesn't she use his last name?"

"Lots of women don't."

"But there's something about it that irritates me. Devotion is made from everything you feel. Why not go all in?" He returned to his creepy demeanor. "I guess it's no problem of mine."

"Exactly."

"I'm going to figure out what it is about you."

"In the mean time, would you mind shutting up?" Another smack from him drained me.

"You'll learn when to speak." He assured me. "For now, I think I'd like to see you silent." He grabbed a syringe from his bag, and stuck me with it. Before I knew it, I was out.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Kate paced back and forth in her office, unable to think about anything other than what her daughter must be going through. She was punishing herself, mostly because she knew this day would come. She knew someone would try to get to her through her family, it was inevitable. The guys had to force her to stop watching the live footage, as it was becoming harder and harder to bear. It didn't serve her anyway, as she needed to be searching for Lily physically.

"We have a potential location." Ryan popped his head into the office.

"Where?"

"There's an empty apartment building downtown. We pinged her last phone signal from that spot, so we're going to check it out."

"You know it's a decoy." Kate shook her head.

"Doesn't hurt to check," He gave her a sympathetic look, "We'll call you when we get there." He left as soon as he had appeared, but Kate knew better than to think optimistically. Castle always told her to find the best in things, but there was nothing good about this.

"Mom!" Beckett turned her head to see the twins bounding through the same doorway Ryan had just been in.

"Hi," She hugged both of them at once, keeping them from crashing into anything, "What're you guys doing here?"

"Dad said we had to come." Reese replied.

"He didn't want to leave us with Alexis." Jake looked up at his mother.

"I figured they'd be...better here." Castle's voice lit up the room, although it was a darker tone than usual.

"Right." Beckett nodded in his direction, knowing full well that Rick hadn't told the boys anything.

"Can we go raid Espo's desk?" Jake asked. Esposito always had treats for them.

"Sure," Beckett gave a slight laugh, "But don't touch anything that looks important." She called after them, watching them run through the main area of the precinct. No matter how grim the situation, the twins knew how to make her smile, just as Rick always did.

"You okay?" He asked, closing the gap between them.

"I knew this would happen." She buried her face in his chest.

"How? You couldn't have, so quit beating yourself up."

"My job isn't all sunshine and rainbows, you know that."

"I do," He looked into her eyes, "Which means I know there's no way this is your fault."

"Rick, we have to find her." Beckett looked down. She rarely used his first name, which meant she was hurting pretty badly.

"And we will. But we have to keep our heads straight."

"I just hope she remembers what I taught her. It could be the thing that saves her life. Derek Peters is no joke."

"She'll be fine."

"You said she wasn't at the game?" Beckett had a thought.

"No, nobody saw her."

"But we found her stuff in the locker room. Maybe someone saw something?"

"Possibly."

"Let's get her friends in here. They were the last ones to see her today."

"I'm right there with you."

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

My eyes opened with blurred vision, something I had never before experienced. I knew it was because of dehydration and the exhaustion of being tied to the chair, but couldn't do anything about it. I looked around, seeing fuzzy objects, hoping something could cut me out of the tape.

"No sharp objects here, little flower," the man was back, "Just the knife in my hand."

"Are we ever going to be on a first name basis?" I croaked.

"But I already know your name. Lily Johanna Castle, born January 5th, 2017. Eight pounds, six ounces." He smiled.

"You're a creep." I said.

"I take my craft very seriously."

"Your craft? You call killing people a craft?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. If you do it correctly, it pleases the eye."

"You're sick. Plain sick in the head. Just wait until my parents get their hands on you."

"It's funny that you keep bringing them up. From what I've seen, they're sitting back like nothing is wrong."

"You're lying." I wouldn't let him get into my head.

"Is this not them?" He reached into the bag and pulled out a file. When he opened it, enlarged pictures fell out. He showed me photos of my mom, dad, and brothers, watching television.

"You did something. They wouldn't act as if nothing happened."

"Or maybe they didn't want you in their life anymore. A little birdie told me you've been arguing quite a bit with mommy and daddy."

"Whoever told you that is an idiot. We get along fine."

"Is that why you're hiding Elliot from them?" His eyes flashed with confidence.

"If you hurt him, I swear to god-" I struggled harder in my chair.

"What? Are you going to get your revenge?" He scoffed.

"You never know." I seethed.

"We'll see about that." He laughed. "Right now, I'd like to see some of that beauty." He stepped closer to me, his knife still in hand. With a quick movement, he sliced my left arm. The blood was warm against my skin, and I cried out in pain. He watched my blood ooze out of my arm as if it were a foreign object worth millions of dollars. He excitedly giggled like a child as he watched it trickle down my hand.

"Why?" Was all I got out.

"We'll see how cocky you are when you've lost some blood." He stood up. "Hopefully you're still alive when I get back. Who knows?" Just like always, he was gone once again. I finally let myself cry. Man, was it the best feeling in the world. Bottling it in was hard, and I didn't want to do it anymore. I just wanted my mom.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Kate looked through the interrogation room window, unsure of how to handle the teenagers sitting at the table. Obviously none of them were guilty, but she didn't want to push them too hard.

"Ready?" Castle asked.

"Sure." She replied. She entered the interrogation room with her usual steady confidence, as Castle stayed in the other room. "So, Kelly Davis, Marcus Taylor, and Elliot Andrews...you know why you're here, yes?"

"Not really." Mark replied with a certain smugness that Kate hated.

"Dude, shut up." Kelly smacked him, and looked to the captain. "We'll do anything we can to help you find her."

"Thank you." Beckett forced a smile. "So, when did you last see her?"

"After school, before the buses came to the lot." Mark made up for his foolishness.

"And the three of you saw her together?" The hesitation in the room made Kate dig deeper. "Who was the last one to see her?"

"Me." Elliot fessed up.

"Where was this?"

"The back of the school."

"Why weren't you by the buses?" Kate grew suspicious.

"We hang out in the back sometimes." Kelly added. She looked too guilty for Kate to buy that.

"Someone better tell me what you're hiding."

"It has nothing to do with her disappearance." Kelly stuck up for the other two.

"I don't care. I'm a cop, and the three of you are sitting in an interrogation room. Someone better start talking."

"Okay," Elliot blurted, "We're kind of like, a thing." He looked at his hands, which were fidgeting in his lap.

"A thing?"

"You know, bangin'. Hookin' up." Mark said.

"Dude, we are _not_ hooking up." Elliot said to his friend.

"Are you telling me you're dating my daughter?" Kate asked the teenager.

"Yeah." Before the word left his mouth, Castle entered. Kate gave him a look of warning, but he continued to circle the kids.

"The three of you look pretty guilty to me." He said. Kate grabbed his arm, shoving him into the seat next to her.

"We're just trying to piece this together." She said.

"I was the last one to see her, and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary." Elliot replied, avoiding eye contact.

"What were you doing behind the school?" Castle didn't hesitate to ask the question.

"Talking."

"Huh. Why couldn't you have done that at the front of the school? I'm thinking you knew exactly what was going to happen to her." Castle pushed.

"Castle." Kate looked him in the eyes. "I think I can handle this alone."

"I'll be quiet." He promised. Kate knew better than to believe it, but let him stay anyway.

"So, nothing unusual? Nobody watching or hanging around?"

"Actually," Elliot frowned, thinking back to earlier in the day, "There was a car that kept circling the back lot. I didn't really think about it when I saw it, but it was a little weird."

"Do you remember what kind of car?"

"It was an SUV of some kind. Red."

"Red?"

"Yeah. Not too dark, but not bright red either."

"Thank you. You guys can go."

"What?" Castle blurted.

"They aren't suspects, and we can't hold minors anyway." Kate nodded to the kids to leave, and they did.

"You don't want to know anything about the kid? He's supposedly dating our daughter."

"I know that, but we need to worry about finding her before we worry about her social life." Kate stood up.

"What if he's a drug dealer? Or some other type of juvenile delinquent?"

"Castle, we've known Elliot for three years. I doubt he's into drugs."

"Kids are good at hiding things."

"Not from me." She smiled confidently.

"Then how come we didn't know they were dating? And don't say you knew but didn't want to pressure her into saying anything." He challenged.

"I would've figured it out eventually."

"Yeah, well-"

"Can we table this discussion for later? I have a car to find."

"Sure." He sighed. "Have Ryan or Esposito called yet?"

"No, which means they didn't find anything." The two left the interrogation room, and wandered into Kate's office. She made a call to one of her newest detectives, and had him get security camera footage from the school.

"Hey, Beckett," Esposito appeared in her office, with Ryan trailing behind, "We found something." They were both still wearing their police vests, which meant something had gone down.

"What?"

"This." Espo placed a charm bracelet on the desk, causing both Kate and Castle to hold their breath.

"She was there."

"At some point, yeah. We found some tools and a..." He trailed, unable to finish his sentence.

"A what?" Kate looked to Ryan.

"A cage." Ryan looked down.

"But it was empty?" Castle asked. "She wasn't there?"

"No, but we found blood spatter in it. We sent it down to Lanie already, to see if it's a match." Esposito regained his words. As if she had heard her name, a phone call from Lanie popped up on Kate's main line.

"What did you find, Lanie?" She answered the phone cautiously.

"Are you sitting?" Lanie's reply made Kate close her eyes.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, Kate. The blood they found was a match to Lily's."

"Thanks." She hung up the phone, unable to speak.

"What?" Castle asked. "Beckett, what is it?"

"It was a match. The blood was Lily's."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi everyone! Wow, this story is getting some awesome comments from you all. I didn't expect it to be liked this much, but I'm glad to keep writing for you all. It's fun to explore a new fandom while trying to sort ideas for a another one. Thank you all for commenting and reading, it means a lot. Enjoy this next chapter of Blurred Lines!**

* * *

 **Castle Residence - 2030**

I loved my birthday. Everything about it. In the Castle abode, birthday's were one of the biggest celebrations of the year, besides Christmas of course. Turning thirteen was something I had always dreamed of. Finally a teenager, going to high school, not looked at like a total baby anymore. I think mom had a slight issue with it, because she wanted nothing more than for me to stay little forever.

"Happy birthday!" The ten-year-old twins jumped on my bed, waking me up.

"Thanks, guys." I laughed.

"What are you gonna wish for?" Reese asked me, his eyes full of curiosity.

"I can't tell you, or it won't come true." I said back.

"You say that every year." Jake whined.

"And every year, it stays true."

"I guess." They hopped off my bed and ran into the living room. I took my time getting up, because I knew I didn't have anywhere to be. My specific birthday tradition was to watch a Back to the Future marathon, followed by an intense game of laser tag with the whole family. We had a rec-room specifically for occasions such as this. Dad made sure it was big enough for the five of us to dive around in. My favorite part about my birthday, however, was breakfast.

"Wow, we didn't think you'd ever come out." Dad smiled at me. He looked down at the delicious treat on his plate. Brownies for breakfast. The one day of the year mom allowed us to stuff our faces with chocolate first thing in the morning. Brownie Breakfast started when I was three. It was the one thing I begged for, and my parents caved. Mom always tells me that dad caved first, but I know it was the other way around. The two of us were closer than she was with the boys, even though it was more of an unspoken bond.

"And miss brownie breakfast?" I laughed. "I don't think so." I sat down beside him, and grabbed two chocolate squares out of the pan in front of me.

"They were just hoping to eat them all." Mom joined us, a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Like every other year." I laughed.

"So, how does it feel? Thirteen big ones." Dad asked.

"I don't really feel any different." I shrugged, shoveling a brownie into my mouth.

"You certainly don't act any different." Mom joked.

"Ha ha." I rolled my eyes.

"I think your hair is longer." Reese frowned, staring at me.

"I think you're insane." I replied.

"Yeah, get your eyes checked, Reese." Jake stuck his tongue out, causing a scuffle at the table.

"Do you two always need to argue?" Mom grabbed them, pulling them apart.

"I think it's time for a friendly little game of laser tag." Dad raised an eyebrow. "Whaddya say, Lil?"

"I'm down." I looked to my mom. "You in?"

"Always." She smiled. These laser tag games became more and more competitive with each passing year. Every time we played, I got better, and so did my brothers. Unfortunately for them, it always came down to me and my mom. The boys were no match for our skill set.

"Nighty night!" I blasted Jake in the back with a beam of light, and he was done.

"Dang it!" He yelled. "You're a silent ninja!"

"Don't let it go to your head." I heard my mom's voice. It was down to the two of us.

"Oh I won't." I circled a foam block to the right of the room. "How about you come out and I'll let you get a shot in?"

"In your dreams." Her reply was all confidence. This threw me off, as I knew she must have her sights on me.

"Are you sure you don't want to give up?" I asked, trying to keep my tough demeanor.

"Positive." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fleck of red. Her beam was on me, and she was about to pull the trigger. I gauged just how far away she was, and readied myself for attack. With a swift movement, she came out from behind the block, and pulled the trigger. I dropped to the ground, and rolled to the right, dodging her attack. I positioned myself quickly, took aim, and hit her square in the chest. Her game was over.

"Ha!" I celebrated with a fist pump in the air. It was the first time I had ever beaten her. I looked over, expecting her to have a face full of defeat, but instead I saw something else. She looked proud. She looked relieved.

"I guess I have taught you something." She smiled at me, and I knew she was proud.

* * *

 **Castle Residence - 2032**

Castle stared at the ceiling of the bedroom for a longer time than he had intended. From the moment he opened his eyes, he hadn't moved. It had now been three days since his daughter went missing, and they didn't have a single lead.

"Dad, is Lily ever coming back?" Jake entered the room.

"Of course, buddy." Castle sat up, smiling at his son. Jake was the one he and Kate watched out for. His birth had some complications, and they weren't sure he'd make it home. When he did, they vowed to make sure nothing happened to him. In fact, they had vowed to protect all three of their children from whatever bad things came their way. In this moment, Castle felt like a failure.

"When?"

"We don't know yet."

"Is she dead?" The question hit Castle hard.

"No, she's not dead."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Although, he wasn't sure. He could only hope for the best, but nothing was certain.

"I miss her."

"Me too, buddy. Me too." He took both of the boys to school later that day, the school understanding the situation at hand. Castle liked that about the school they chose for their kids. The officials were sympathetic to any major crisis. After dropping off the boys, he headed into the precinct, hoping that Kate had found something to lead them to Lily.

"Hey, Castle." Her voice was tired.

"That answers my question." He handed her a fresh cup of coffee, as he always used to do.

"The trail is cold, and I don't know what to do." She rubbed her face with one hand.

"We keep looking."

"It's been three days, Castle." Kate looked up at him, her eyes tired. "If we don't find her within the next twenty-four hours, she's as good as dead."

"You don't know that." He reassured his wife.

"Did you miss the part where her blood was found in a metal cage? In an abandoned apartment complex? She was there, and we missed her."

"We will find her. This is the point where we dig deeper, and look harder. If we lose hope now, it's over."

"I know." She looked down once more. "It's hard."

"No one said it was easy." He switched the subject. "Did Ryan or Espo get anything on the car?"

"No, the back lot camera's were disabled."

"What about up the road?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's a gas station ten minutes from the school. The only way he could've gone was east, passed the gas station. The road behind the school leads to a dead end."

"Castle, you're a genius." Kate popped up, and entered the bustlings of the precinct. "Javi! Ryan!" She called them over to the board.

"You got something?" Ryan asked.

"Let's check the security camera's from the Chevron up the road from the school."

"The Chevron?"

"Peters had to have passed it on his way to the school." Castle answered for his wife.

"Right, the back of the school leads to a dead end." Esposito nodded in agreement.

"Why didn't we think of this before?" Kate frowned.

"No use dwelling on it now, cap. We'll get some images and see what we can find." Ryan placed a hand on her shoulder before disappearing around the corner with Esposito.

"We should look through some more of Peters' files."

"But I thought he had a clean record."

"He does, but that doesn't mean he can't be tracked through something else."

"Does he have any history with a therapist?"

"I didn't see anything, why?"

"Men like him usually do. It helps keep the urges in check long enough to plan out another attack. I wrote about it in a book."

"We can look again." Kate sighed.

"It'll be okay." Castle said gently.

"I hope so."

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

After being asleep for what seemed like hours, I finally woke up again. This time, someone new was sitting in front of me. It was a woman, and she seemed fairly normal. The only different thing about her, was that she was wearing a Gucci jacket. This lady had money.

"Lily Castle, we finally meet." She smiled, her voice angelic compared to the man's. "I'm sorry for the condition Derek has left you in." Derek, so that was his name.

"Who are you?" My voice cracked.

"If I told you that, I wouldn't be able to help you." She replied.

"Help me?"

"Yes, I'm here to help you."

"This tape is really starting to dig in." I motioned to my hands.

"I can't let you go, silly goose." Her tone was playful, as if she were talking to a baby.

"I thought-"

"You can help me help you." She inched closer with her chair. "I have a few questions for you." She laughed. Great, she _was_ creepy. Just when I thought I may have a way out.

"What kind of questions?" My stomach growled as I said it.

"Just a couple of questions about the twelfth precinct." She clapped giddily.

"How would I know what goes on there?"

"Oh please, you aren't stupid." She snapped. "I'm sure dear old mom talks about it."

"Not really. She's kind of a steel trap, but you wouldn't know anything about that." I sassed.

"Someone really ought to teach you some manners." She pulled a standard nine millimeter out of the purse sitting on the floor beside her, and pressed it against my temple.

"Okay, fine. Ask."

"Where do they keep the classified files?"

"I don't know." I replied, causing her to click the safety off. "Honestly, I'm telling you the truth. I know they keep the cold cases down in the basement, the ones that were never closed. But I've never seen any classifieds." My tone became nervous.

"How do I get in?"

"Through the front door." My sass returned, and she pistol-whipped me across the face.

"Try again." She pushed the gun back to my head.

"There's a back entrance that only a few people have access to. It was created for emergencies, specifically to throw of people like you. You could probably knock out an officer and steal the card."

"Which officer?"

"I can't remember who has a key card." I lied.

"You better give me a name before I pull this trigger." She seethed. I knew her patience was becoming short, and I didn't want my head blown to bits, so I did the one thing I vowed I'd never do. I gave names.

"Javier Esposito, Kevin Ryan, Lanie Parish, Kate Beckett, and Richard Castle." I hung my head.

"Ah, the core group." Derek came out of the shadows. "Thank you, babe." He looked to the woman. I had no idea how this guy knew so much about my family, but I knew I'd get the answers when it was over.

"Of course, honey bunny." She giggled.

"You know he kills women, right?" I asked her.

"Only the ugly ones." She said with an attitude. This lady was whack. "We should get going, we have some work to do."

"You're always on the same page as me." They smiled at each other.

"What about me? You're just going to leave me here to rot?"

"Oh quit being so dramatic." Derek rolled his eyes. "We fed you, you'll be fine until we come back with the bodies of your loved ones." They left the room, and I started struggling against the tape. It cut into my hands, and I felt the blood start to slide down my wrists. Before I knew it, Derek was back.

"I'll cut you a deal." He said.

"In your dreams." I spat.

"You tell me who'll be the easiest to take out, and I'll save one person for you."

"You're going to kill me, why would I help you?"

"It's like I said before, you're different. I have big plans for you, little flower."

"Well then here's your answer; no one. All of them are equally as tough, and they'll smell you from a mile away." I sneered.

"I guess I'll have to take them all, then. What a waste of a favor." He shook his head, and left once again. I had to get a message out to my mom before it was too late.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

After getting an ID on the car, Kate sent out an APB on the vehicle. It took all of twenty minutes to find the car that Elliot had described, and match it to an alias that they knew belonged to Derek Peters. Now, they were waiting for news, and checking other camera's around the city.

"Captain, you should come look at this." A second-year cop, Morris, poked his head in from the surveillance room. Kate had assigned him to watch the live footage.

"What is it?" Kate, Castle, and the boys were immediately in front of the screen.

"Well that's new." Castle blurted.

"Who is she?" Kate asked. The four of them stared at a woman sitting in front of Lily.

"We can't get a facial ID on her. She keeps her face hidden just enough to avoid recognition." Morris replied. They all watched the pistol whip, and cringed.

"What is she saying?"

"I don't know. I can't read it, it's too far away."

"Do you know anything?" Kate snapped. "Sorry."

"I'm trying, captain."

"I know, you're doing great."

"Oh, there's something else." He forwarded the feed that he had recorded. "I think she's trying to send a message here." The screen showed Lily sitting in the chair, making movements with her hands.

"What is she doing?" Espo looked closer at the screen.

"I know exactly what that is." Castle grabbed a notepad and a pen sitting nearby. He began writing, and looked up when he was finished. "When I was writing my last book, I had a deaf character. I went to an interpreter just to get a feel for what they had to do for their clients in court, and Lily came with me because she had a day off from school. He taught us a little bit of sign language." He turned the notepad around.

"They're coming." Kate read aloud.

"She finger spelled that." Castle said proudly.

"What do you think it means?" Ryan asked.

"I think it means she warned us." Kate announced. "She knows we're watching this. We need to have a plan."

"You think they'd be stupid enough to come here?" Castle asked.

"I do. The way they're playing this game, they have all the confidence in the world."

"Too much confidence." Espo nodded. "It'll trip em' up."

"They think they have us cornered, but we'll be ready." Kate looked to her team. "Let's figure this out."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter four already?! I'm loving my writing process for this story. I'll watch a few episodes to really get the voices of the characters, then I'll write a bit of my plot line. I've never written a procedural before, so I hope everything makes sense. Also, I like adding OC's because it gives my imagination something a bit more challenging to play with. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy reading this fourth installment of Blurred Lines as much as I did writing it!**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

I knew I needed to get a message out to my parents, but I wasn't exactly sure how to do so. I thought about Morse code, but quickly remembered I didn't know anything about it. Mom tried teaching it to me a few years back, but it was almost impossible for me to learn. How could they remember all of the beats and clicks? Instead, a different idea hit me. When dad was writing his last book, he researched the deaf community because he had written a deaf character. This really cool interpreter taught us the alphabet, and I remembered it. Sometimes dad and I would communicate at the dinner table without the rest of the family noticing. So, I used that. With my best effort, I formed letters with my hands, praying that they were watching the camera.

"Please get this." I said aloud, repeating the letters multiple times. I was mad at myself for giving them the names of the people I loved most in the world, but I knew they could handle it. Especially if they received my warning. After about thirty times, my hands were too tired to continue signing. I could only hope that they received my message in time.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

The team waited for something to happen. Castle and Beckett stayed in the basement, while Ryan and Esposito split up. Ryan stayed at his desk, while Esposito secured his spot at the back entrance of the precinct. Peters and his accomplice were looking for something at the precinct, but Kate didn't know what it was.

"You don't remember him from another case?" Castle whispered, trying to stay hidden behind a cabinet.

"No." Kate whispered back. "Don't you think I would've said something if I had?"

"Yeah, but maybe it's hidden. Maybe he slipped through the cracks."

"What do you mean?"

"Is there a case you worked where you didn't catch the killer?"

"There's always cases like that. I've had a couple."

"Let's look at them. There could be a clue in there somewhere."

"Good idea, but can we worry about the armed killers coming to the precinct?"

"Maybe they told her they were coming here to test her."

"Go on."

"I don't know. Something about this seems off. They should've killed her by now, Peters especially. It makes me think they're using her for something bigger." Castle explained.

"Like what? What could they possibly-" Kate stopped mid-sentence.

"What?" Castle looked to the brunette with curiosity.

"The woman." Kate's face had a look of familiarity on it. "I think I know who she is."

"Beckett! Castle!" Ryan's voice called from the entrance to the basement. The two got up from their hiding spots, and rushed up the stairs.

"What?" Kate looked to Ryan.

"They did come here. We caught one of them." Ryan was out of breath.

"Which one?" She asked. Ryan led them to an interrogation room, where the woman was sitting handcuffed to the table. "Kitty Carlson." Kate growled.

"You know her?" Espo came in, breathing heavily.

"She was involved in a case of mine a few years ago. She helped Diego Price get out of the country after trafficking teenage girls to third party buyers in Romania."

"And you never booked her?"

"We didn't have solid evidence."

"Didn't you find Diego?" Castle asked.

"Eventually, yeah. He was killed in a shootout when we found him."

"So she's plotting her revenge?" Ryan asked.

"It doesn't make sense. Why would she help Derek Peters? He has to have a part in all of this." Kate frowned. "Was he with her?"

"He dropped her at the back entrance and sped off. I don't think he ever planned on actually coming in. He did notice me waiting, though." Espo responded.

"So, he saw you and let her come in anyway?" Kate asked.

"Yeah."

"Castle, you were right. Something about this is off."

"But what?"

"That's what I'm going to find out." Kate had a look of determination on her face, one that could quickly turn to anger if she let it. "Don't let anyone in there." She looked to Ryan and Esposito. It took her all of five seconds to enter the interrogation room, eyes blazing.

"Well, well, well," Kitty sat back in her chair, "If it isn't Katherine Beckett."

"Kitty Carlson." Kate's tone was monotonous.

"It's funny how much she looks like you." Kitty egged Kate on. "The eyes, the hair, the sass."

"You know, I was just telling myself how funny it was that Diego died so quickly. One shot, and the idiot dropped." She leveled with the perp.

"Real funny." Kitty said through gritted teeth, obviously irked by Kate's statement.

"So, are you going to tell me where she is? Or do I need to get it out of you the hard way?"

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Depends."

"You can't do anything to me." She laughed confidently.

"Well, the cameras are off, and I have my best guys guarding the door. They know better than to disobey their captain, so nobody will be getting in here." She stared daggers into Kitty's eyes. "No matter how loud it gets." She finished with a dark tone.

"Yeah, yeah," Kitty looked at her nails, "I'm scared." She feigned fear.

"I'm just wondering what your part in all of this is." Kate started. "It's not like you're smart enough to make the plans. How'd you find Derek?"

"He found me. Knew about the trafficking legend I created, and asked me to help."

"So, is that his plan? To sell Lily to another country?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Kitty, I can offer you immunity." This sparked the criminal's attention. "When we find him, I can leave your name out of it."

"You wouldn't."

"Trust me, I would. All I want is to know Lily's location." Kate kept her cool, feeling as though she was on the verge of a confession.

"You're guaranteeing immunity for a measly location?"

"You can even warn Peters, I don't care." Kate watched as Kitty started to open her mouth, ready to give an answer, when Ryan burst through the door. "Ryan, what the hell!" Kate shouted.

"The commissioner is here, Beckett. He needs to speak with you immediately." Ryan looked down, obviously sorry to interrupt.

"Tell him I'll be there in a second." She said angrily.

"He told me to drag you out of here if I had to."

"Looks like they aren't so loyal after all." Kitty sneered, back to her cocky antics.

"I'm coming back for you." Kate pointed a finger at the woman before exiting the room. "This better be good."

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

"What did you do!" Derek screamed, followed by a punch to the face. He obviously figured out that I had tipped off my parents, and sure wasn't happy about it. "My girl is in there, and so help me god, if they hurt her..." He trailed.

"How could I have done anything? I'm tied to a chair." I played innocent.

"Don't pull that shit with me." He barked. "How did they know?"

"Know what?" Another hit made me wince.

"We had them. We were ready."

"How did she get caught, and you didn't?"

"It was never my intention to go into the building."

"So you wanted her to be caught?"

"No!" He erupted. "You did this!"

"I swear, I didn't!" I pleaded.

"I'll make you pay for this." His words were filled with hatred, and it scared me. "And I know just the way to do it."

"Look, if you leave now, you can get away. They have no clue where you are, or they would've been here by now." I tried putting ideas into his head, hoping it would work. At this point, I was losing all rational thought. "You're smarter than they are." This made him stop in his tracks.

"You think so?" His question was genuine. He was unstable.

"I do." I forced a smile onto my face. "You can escape, unharmed. They'll never catch you, you're unstoppable." It was hard to get the words out, especially because I didn't mean a single one.

"We can go to Paris. You've always wanted to go." He walked towards me. What was he talking about? I had never wanted to go to Paris, that was more of my sister's favorite place. However, I knew I needed to play along.

"Exactly." I kept my warm demeanor.

"Wait," He frowned, "You're lying. You're playing with my head." He lashed out again.

"I'm not." I defended myself.

"We'll give them something to lose hope over." he smiled one of his signature creepy smiles. "You're coming with me." He reached into his bag, and grabbed an identical syringe to the one he had used before. This one was stocked with the same tranquilizer that had put me out the first time.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to escape. But you? You're going somewhere you'll never come back from." He laughed. It didn't take more than a few seconds for him to put me out, due to the massive fatigue my body was going through. When I woke up, I was in a similar place to the one I had just been in. Although, this one was cleaner. My blood wasn't on the floor, and the chair was squeaky clean. Unlike last time, I was tied to the chair with rope.

"Where am I?" I asked, noticing Derek in front of me.

"Your new home." Was his reply.

"I don't know if you know this, but a home doesn't smell like death." I shot back.

"You won't have to be here long, don't worry." I noticed the knife in his hands. The way he twirled it around gave me goosebumps.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see." He ran the blade across my jawline. "Or more accurately, you'll _feel_."

"They are going to find you." I spat. "And when they do, they're going to kill you."

"After they see what I'm about to do to you, I would too." His smirk returned, and I shut my eyes. I wasn't one for prayer, but in that moment, I needed a friggin' miracle.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Kate was furious that she had been taken from the interrogation, but knew it had to be something important. The commissioner never visited the twelfth. He was waiting for her in her office, and motioned for her to shut the door as she entered.

"Captain Beckett," He greeted her with a nod, "I see you're running a tight ship here."

"Of course, commissioner. I was actually just in the middle of-"

"Captain, sit." He pulled a chair for her.

"Yes, sir." She did what he told her to.

"I know what you were in the middle of, and I can't allow it to continue."

"I'm sorry?"

"This case is far too personal for you to be working it. I'm benching you from continuing."

"Sir-"

"I will have the absolute best detectives working from here on out, but I cannot allow you to grill suspects without proper protocol."

"I haven't interrogated anyone without the proper protocol, sir." She argued.

"So if I walk into that room, the camera's will be on, and your partner will be sitting in the second seat at the table?" He held her gaze. "Beckett, you are a damn fine captain, you make this city proud."

"But?"

"But personal cases tend to make you a rule-bender. And I can't have a lawsuit on my hands after all of this is said and done. Listen to me, we will find your daughter. And when we do, you and Mr. Castle will be the first on the scene. Until then, go home."

"But sir-"

"No. This is my final order."

"Can I make a request?" Her anger was hard to hide, and her words came out disrespectfully.

"Of course."

"I want Detectives Ryan and Esposito to head the case. They know Lily, but they won't do anything unlawful to get her back."

"I agree, and I've already asked them to take point. I will stay here and manage the precinct for now."

"Fine. Am I dismissed?" She couldn't wait to get out of the building.

"You are." He nodded. Kate stormed out of the office, running smack into her two favorite detectives.

"I'm sorry it went down like this, Beckett. But we'll do our best." Ryan assured her.

"What's going on?" Castle appeared in front of them.

"The commissioner is kicking her off the case. You too, I guess." Esposito replied.

"What? How can he do that, this is our child!" Rick exclaimed. He looked to Kate, but she was at a loss for words. She took a second to think, and then looked to the duo taking over the search for Lily.

"You better do your best, because if she dies, it's on you now." With that, she turned and left the building. Castle looked to the guys, unable to say anything.

"Take care of her, Castle. She needs you now more than ever." Espo said.

"I will." Castle's reply was certain. He followed his wife out of the precinct, and found her sitting in the car outside.

"We have to keep looking on our own." She said, keeping her eyes forward.

"I was going to say the same thing." Castle replied. "Guess it's a good thing we made our secret room."

"Castle, you read my mind." It didn't take long for her to speed home. The boys had gone to a friends house earlier in the day, giving Rick and Kate time to process and not worry about all three of their children. As they entered the house, they immediately got to work. In the garage, Castle had installed a hidden room, full of equipment, weapons, and police scanners. In his spare time, he would come in here and play with the fun toys.

"So where do we start?" He asked.

"I need to do a little digging on Derek Peters. It's obviously an alias, I just need to figure out his real name." Kate had already sat down in front of a computer, using the NYPD's system to delve deeper into the mystery of Derek Peters.

"Anything?" Castle looked over her shoulder.

"No." She grumbled. "There has to be _something_ here."

"Did she say where they met?"

"All she said was that he searched her out."

"So, look through her bank account and see where she goes to most frequently. If he found her, he used a spot that he knew she'd be in." Castle suggested.

"Okay," Kate scrolled through Kitty's account information, "There are three places. Jack's Dog Wash, The Country Club, and a bar called Slater's."

"It has to be the bar."

"She's got money, why would she be going to a ratty bar?" They started to click the pieces together.

"Unless she was looking for someone."

"Someone who had presumably died."

"Someone like Diego Price." The two stared at each other.

"I don't get it. Derek Peters looks nothing like Diego Price."

"We've dealt with facial changes before." Castle replied.

"That's why he's so fixated on Lily." Kate whispered.

"Why?"

"He had a favorite. Her name was Erica Lyons. She was the one girl he never put up for sale, and I took her away from him when we caught him. She's back with her parents in Manhattan, and she's about to start her second year of college. He's getting back at me for taking his girl."

"How did Kitty know it was him?"

"The same way I'd know if it were you, Castle. Love." Kate responded.

"We've got to call Ryan and Esposito, maybe this will lead them to her."

"You call them, I'll look for recent locations. They have to pop up on at least one camera in the city." She turned back to her computer screen.

"Hey Kate," Castle started dialing, "It's good to be working with you again."

"It's good to have my partner back." She smiled. "Now let's get find our daughter."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey all! This is probably going to be my last chapter for a little bit. I'm going on vacation, and I won't have consistent WiFi for about a week and a half. If I can find some good spots, I'll try to get a new chapter out. As always, thank you for continuously reading and reviewing, it means a lot! Enjoy the next chapter of Blurred Lines!**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **Castle Residence**

Once Castle put the call in to Ryan and Esposito, things started to move quickly. The detectives made their way to the Castle house, as they knew the commissioner wouldn't approve of Kate or Rick coming back to the precinct after being kicked off the case.

"We picked up a signal on Diego's last registered phone, and we got a hit." They entered the hidden room with a rush of energy.

"Where?" Kate was itching for good news.

"There's an old warehouse down by the docks. We think he's got her in there." Espo replied.

"Let's case it." Kate stood up from the computers.

"Beckett, we have to be smart about this. If we go in guns blazing, it could make things a lot worse for Lily." Espo put up a hand.

"We're going to get her, but we have to have a smart plan." Ryan added.

"What if we use a decoy?" Castle jumped in.

"Go on." Kate encouraged.

"What if you and I go in alone?" He asked. "I'm sure by now he know's we're off the case. He'll be expecting us at some point. If he thinks we're there without back up, his guard will be down." He explained.

"His confidence is his downfall." Kate added, looking to Ryan and Esposito.

"It's risky." Ryan said.

"The commissioner won't approve." Espo frowned.

"Who says we need to tell him? I'm your captain, and I'm giving this the okay." She stated. "Like it or not, you don't have a choice."

"We're with you, cap." They gave looks of determination.

"Castle, get out your Writer's vest." Kate said.

"I thought you'd never say it." He smiled.

"Oh, hang on a second." Kate looked to her phone, which had lit up with a phone call. "Beckett. Slow down, Morris. What? Are you sure? Okay, no, you did the right thing." She hung up with a look of disappointment on her face.

"What?" Castle asked.

"The live feed is off. He shut it off."

"Maybe there's something wrong with it."

"Or maybe we're too late." Kate said. "We have to hurry." It didn't take long for the team to arrive at the scene. Kate and Rick were there first, and they didn't waste any time bursting into the building. Ryan and Esposito hung back with the rest of the team, waiting for Kate's signal on the radio.

"Do you see anything?" Castle trailed behind Kate, looking around.

"Not yet." Her gun was at the ready, pointed forward.

"Kate." His voice was urgent.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"Your left." His face was filled with fear. She knew she didn't want to look, but had to anyway. When she turned, her heart sank. Sitting in the chair was a teenage girl, with brown hair.

"Get Lanie in here," Kate slowly grabbed her walkie, " _Now_." Neither she nor Castle could move another centimeter towards the body, both of them knowing full well this girl was dead. The team stormed in, in a matter of seconds.

"What is it?" Ryan was there first. He looked towards the direction they were facing, and dropped his head.

"Is that?" Esposito couldn't make a full sentence. Lanie stopped as well, catching her breath, knowing that her ID of the body would change her friends' lives. She took a step forward, and Kate caught her arm.

"The second you see her face, call it out." She looked her friend straight in the eyes.

"I will." Lanie placed her hand on top of her friends, before walking towards the body. She slowly inched forward, not wanting to be the one making the identification call. She knew she had to be the one to seal her goddaughter's fate, and it killed her. Lanie had seen plenty of dead bodies before, but as soon as she saw this one up close, she threw up.

"Lanie, what is it?" Esposito was next to her within seconds.

"Give me a minute." She wiped her mouth.

"Oh god." Espo gave the body one look, and almost lost his lunch as well.

"What?" Kate called from further back.

"The face, it's...gone." Esposito replied.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Kate rushed forward.

"He peeled it off." Lanie struggled to get the words out. As soon as Kate saw the body, she dropped. Luckily, Castle was there to catch her before her knees hit the hard ground.

"Come on. There's nothing we can do here." He helped her out of the building, followed by Ryan, Lanie, and Esposito.

"I'll get the prints done as soon as I possibly can." Lanie assured her friends.

"We'll meet you back at the precinct." Castle nodded. Forensics took the body out of the warehouse, and everyone left the scene. Castle drove to the precinct, letting Kate sit with her thoughts in the passenger seat. Normally he'd make a joke out of her letting him drive, but this was no special occasion. Once he parked, he turned the car off, and removed the keys from the ignition.

"What are we going to tell the boys?" She finally asked, still looking out the window.

"I don't know."

"How did we let her get taken?"

"We didn't. We couldn't have known."

"My job did this. I did this." A single tear dropped down her cheek.

"Kate." Castle reached for her face, turning her eyes toward him. "This is not your fault. You're a good captain, and an even better mother. Nobody in the world could've known."

"This is what I'm best at, and I couldn't save her. I've saved so many people, Rick, but I couldn't save my own flesh and blood." She rested her head against his, allowing her self to cry. He was the one person she let herself cry in front of.

"We. We couldn't." He wiped her tears. "And now we have to go face it." They took a breath together, and pulled apart.

"Together." She nodded.

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

It's funny, the things we remember when we feel as though we're minutes away from death. At this point, I don't have any fight left. He's sucked it all out, and he knows it, too. Every time he sees me, he gives me a little smirk. It's like he's finally broken my spirit, and he couldn't be happier. I'm not going to lie, I was sure my parents would've found me by now, and the fact they hadn't made me lose even more hope.

"Just a few more hours." Derek said to me.

"Great." I grumbled, my words barely audible.

"You know, I've liked getting to know you. You truly are one of a kind."

"Thanks."

"No, really. I'm actually a little sad that I have to kill you."

"Have to?"

"If I don't, it won't be good for anybody. My urges are hard to control, you see."

"Just do it already."

"Wow, it didn't very long to break you, did it? You know, my favorite girl lasted a week. I figured you'd give her a run for her money."

"I'm sure she was plastic." I spat. This made him laugh.

"You've still got a little left, don't you?"

"Come here and find out." I egged him on.

"Your mom ruined my life, you know. I had something so good, and she pulled it right out from under me."

"That's what she does."

"And this is what I do."

"I'm sorry if you think she ruined your life, I really am. But killing me isn't going to change that."

"I beg to differ." He said. "Now she'll know what it feels like to lose what she loves most."

"You probably should've taken my brothers if you wanted to hurt her that bad." I said.

"What?"

"My mom and I aren't exactly close." I lied through my teeth. "She's got more of a hold over them. Earlier, when you said you knew we'd been fighting, you were right. We have been. She doesn't get it. That's why she isn't here, she doesn't care."

"You think you can fool me? Both of your parents have been looking for you since the second they realized you were gone. Nice try, little flower, but you're more valuable than anyone else on the planet." His answer was confident, just like the rest.

"Can I at least say goodbye?"

"Not a chance."

"Please!" I called, watching him walk away. "Don't you think you owe me that much?"

"I don't. And you want to know why? Because you're just like her."

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Rick and Kate walked into the precinct holding hands, with their heads down. Neither of them could look anyone in the eye, and no one expected them to. They made their way to the outside of the lab, unable to go in.

"Hey," Esposito came out, "Lanie knows you're here, she'll be out when she gets a match."

"Thanks." Castle forced a smile. "Do want anything? Coffee?" he looked to Kate.

"I'm good." Her answer was short.

"It might not be her." Ryan came out of the lab next.

"I saw her." Kate replied. "It's her."

"We're preparing for the worst. That way, when we get good news, it'll be ten times better." Castle joked.

"Do you always have to be funny?' Kate snapped. At that exact moment, Lanie opened the door to the lab.

"Is it Lily?" Castle didn't hesitate.

"Because I had to match the prints so quickly, I could only get a partial. But based on my findings, no. It's not her." Lanie had a look of relief on her face.

"But she looks almost identical-" Kate started, shocked.

"I know. He did a good job of finding a double." Lanie agreed. "Once I get the full work up, we'll have a better idea of who the victim is."

"Thank you." Kate said fullheartedly.

"Of course." Lanie nodded, and disappeared back into her work space. The four teammates looked at each other, sharing hugs and sighs of relief.

"So, Lily's still out there." Ryan said.

"The question is where." Kate added. "He went through a lot of trouble to throw us off."

"But why? Why not just kill Lily and let us find her like that?" Castle asked. The looks from the rest of them made him retract his statement. "Not that I want to find my daughter dead, but a guy like him doesn't hold out for long."

"He did with Erica Lyons." Kate said.

"Maybe that's the key." Espo suggested. "She's still alive, right?"

"Yeah." Kate responded.

"Let's get her in here for questioning." Espo said. "Maybe she knows something we haven't figured out yet."

"Doesn't hurt to try." Ryan shrugged.

"She's under protection now." Kate thought about Diego's old case. "Castle and I will go talk to her. You guys wait here for Lanie's results."

"Be careful."

"We will be." They left the precinct as soon as they had entered, and Kate called her contacts on the way to the Lyon's safe house. After getting the okay, she sped up even faster. They arrived within twenty minutes, the safe house not far from police presence. Kate had only met Erica once, but knew that their meeting would be somewhat icy.

"So she hates you?" Castle asked, the two standing on the doorstep of the house.

"I wouldn't say hate."

"Speak for yourself." The door opened, revealing Erica's face.

"Erica." Kate nodded.

"Beckett." The girl responded, showing no signs of respect. "Come in." She led them to the living room, where they sat down on the couch across from Erica's chair.

"Do you know why we're here?" Kate asked.

"No." Erica replied.

"Our daughter was taken." Castle interrupted. "By Diego Price." At the mention of his name, something sparked in Erica's eyes.

"We were hoping you'd remember something from the time you were with him." Kate added.

"I don't."

"Erica-"

"I've tried to forget all of it. Do you know how hard it is to love someone so much, only to have people think that person was an animal? He treated me with respect, and he loved me. You ruined it."

"Erica, you were abducted by a sex trafficker." Kate prodded. "He didn't love you, he saw you as property."

"He showed me more than any of you people ever could."

"Look, we get that you're upset." Castle interjected. "But he has our daughter. And she likes her life as it is. We need to know if you remember any of the places he took you."

"Fine, I remember everything. Every second."

"But?"

"But if I'm going to tell you what I know, I want something in return." She replied with confidence. Diego Pierce had turned her into a different kind of girl, one that had no respect for the law, or anyone in her life.

"Name it." Kate didn't hesitate.

"Kate-" Castle started.

"No." She stopped his logical thinking process. "I'm ready to strike a deal." She turned back to Erica.

"I want to see him." Erica stated.

"Fine."

"What?" Castle said aloud.

"Really?" The girl's face lit up.

"I will arrange a meet with him." Kate nodded.

"Are you out of your mind?" Castle looked to his wife.

"I will do everything in my power to get her back." Kate looked straight into his eyes. "If she wants to see Price, we'll make it happen. Now where's my daughter?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I wanted to say a quick little thing before diving into this next chapter. I know that a lot of you have been super duper supportive of this story, and I appreciate you more than you know. As I always say, my fans are the main reason I write. That being said, if you are not a fan of my writing, please stop reading and commenting. I 100% encourage constructive criticism and/or story ideas, but I don't stand for people straight up hating on my writing. So please, if you're looking for a different story, go somewhere else. To everyone supporting my endeavors as a fanfiction author, I am forever grateful to you, and hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

After getting a list of all the places Erica could remember, Kate and Rick sped back to the precinct. They knew it was risky, seeing as the commissioner was still there, but they had to track the list of possible places Lily was being held.

"Look at this one." Kate pointed to the name of an abandoned warehouse.

"We already checked out there. That's where we found the body of Poppy James." Ryan responded.

"And what did we find out about her?"

"She's sixteen, goes to Lily's rival school, and she's had no previous history of criminal activity. Diego picked her up outside of her school a few days ago."

"If Lily wasn't in that warehouse, she still could've been close by, right? He's been playing with us this whole time."

"Sure, but where."

"There's four more buildings out there that haven't been used in over a year." Kate pulled up the pictures from the previous crime scene.

"So we go storm all four?" Esposito asked. "That could tip him off."

"We're going to figure out which one she's in."

"How?" Castle asked.

"We've solved the most impossible cases, you and I." Kate looked at her husband with utter conviction. "We will figure this out. We always do."

"Right." He nodded in agreement. "So what's the deal with these four buildings? How are they different?"

"Two are side by side facing the water, one is facing west, and the other is about thirty feet north of the water." Ryan stated.

"One has to be better positioning for him." Kate said.

"What was the lighting like in the video feed?" Castle asked.

"What?" Esposito looked at him.

"The lighting. Was it natural or did he have electricity?"

"It looked pretty natural to me." Ryan answered.

"So we base the time stamp on the positioning of the sun, and we can figure out which building he has her in."

"But he's moved her." Kate replied.

"Right." Castle frowned.

"Well maybe we can figure out which one she's in now based on the one she was previously in." Ryan suggested. "He wouldn't have taken her too far, moving her this many times has to be exhausting."

"Trust me, he doesn't get tired quickly." Kate said.

"It's worth a shot." Castle shrugged. "And right now, it's all we have."

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

This was it, I could feel it. My time was running out by the second, and I had no way of contacting my parents. Derek had laid out some scary looking tools, which I was sure he'd be using on me in a matter of minutes.

"Aren't they beautiful?" He looked at the rusty tools with wonder.

"Yeah, fantastic." I sassed. "Look, I get that I'm about to die. I really want to say goodbye to my family. You keep saying that I'm different and that you somewhat care about me, so can I please just have this? Please let me say goodbye." I pleaded once more.

"Fine."

"Really?" I tried to keep my voice from sounding excited.

"Yes, really. I like a good dramatic ending." He grabbed the camera from the previous warehouse and set it up in front of me. I'm sure I looked like absolute crap, but I was hoping I could say something to get my parents to the warehouse. Something I didn't usually say, or something to tip them off. "Here you go. You have one minute."

"Mom, dad," I started to tear up, "I guess this is goodbye. I was hoping you'd be here by now, but you didn't quite make it. It's not your fault, really, I don't think I would've been able to figure it out either. I just wanted to say I love you. I love all of you. Make sure that Jake and Reese grow up with good memories of me, and don't let them feel sad. I lived a good life, and you guys are great parents. And mom, next time don't miss my soccer game."

"Wow." Derek shut off the camera abruptly and started clapping. "What a performance!" He laughed.

"I wouldn't call it a performance." I glared.

"Well I would."

"You know the one thing I regret?"

"What's that?"

"I regret being in that locker room alone, because no one should have to see your face before they die."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, little flower."

"Good."

"Now, I think I want to take a little walk. I've got to plan your death very carefully. It should be gruesome, so that they can't get the image of it out of their minds for the rest of their lives." He stood up.

"You're sick. And I hope they catch you."

"They never will, little flower, that's the whole point."

"That's what you think."

"That's what I know. They thought they had me before, but they were wrong. And now, they get the ultimate payback."

"My mom will find you, trust me. She can't let things go unless she gets all of the answers."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Kate and the guys looked over the footage from the live feed, but had no luck narrowing the search. They had no strong leads as to which building Lily was being held in, and it frustrated them to no end.

"I think we're going to have to raid them all and hope for the best." Ryan sighed.

"I agree. Not doing anything couldn't be worse." Esposito nodded.

"Guys, we need you in the media room." Morris' head poked around the corner of the office. All four followed him, stopping in front of a computer screen. "This was sent in to us about five minutes ago." He pressed play, showing Lily's message.

"Why would he send this?" Kate asked.

"Because he's psycho."

"No," She frowned, "He never did anything like this with any of his other victims."

"Maybe he's trying to get his point across even more so."

"And mom, next time don't miss my soccer game." Lily's voice rang in Kate's ears.

"Wait, play that back." Kate demanded.

"And mom, next time don't miss my soccer game." The video played again.

"What?" Castle looked to Kate.

"Why would she say that? She's trying to tell me something."

"I think maybe she was trying to make it lighter for us." He replied.

"I don't think so." She took over Morris' position, and played the video again. "There." She said with confidence.

"What?" All three guys asked in unison.

"On the back wall, look." She pointed at the screen. "It's a logo."

"What does it say?"

"I can't read it, but that definitely looks like fruit." Esposito said.

"It's an old fruit packaging warehouse." Ryan said what everyone else was thinking.

"Morris, which one of the four warehouses by the docks is an old fruit packaging company?" Kate asked.

"The one west of the water was used to package and store crates of oranges for thirty years." He replied.

"That's where she is, we need a team out there now." Kate urged.

"Already on it, cap." Ryan had already dialed his phone.

"Let's go." The four of them split up into two cars, Kate and Rick speeding ahead of the others.

"Kate?" Castle asked.

"Yeah?" She didn't take her eyes off the road.

"How did you know to look for a clue from her last sentence?"

"What?"

"She said you shouldn't have missed her soccer game. How did you know that was a hint to look for something?"

"I knew she wouldn't bring something like that up in a goodbye video."

"But-"

"Honestly, Castle, I just had a feeling. I think she knew it would make me wonder. Saying goodbye to your family when you think you're about to die is no time to bring up the past. You say goodbye, and that's that." They pulled into the dock area with a screech of tires, other NYPD cars right behind them.

"Alright, we'll go in the front, you guys take the back." Kate directed the others.

"Let's get our daughter back." Castle nodded, strapping on his Writer vest.

"Stay behind me." Kate smiled, leading the rest of the team in. They could only hope it wasn't too late.

* * *

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

The only thing that had prepared me for this moment was my mother. Everything she had taught me came into play this very second, and I had never been more grateful for her. Derek had just hit me hard enough to knock me out, so I used the opportunity to feign unconsciousness. He figured he'd move me again when I was out, but he should've known better. As soon as he cut the tape binding my hands and feet, I went rabid. I kicked my legs as hard as possible, knocking him onto his back. With all the strength I had, I kicked him in the head. My eyes darted around, blurry from the bloody cuts above my brows, but I could still make out shapes. His hands were suddenly on my feet, trying to drag me down.

"Get off me!" I shouted, stepping on his fingers. He let out a howl of pain, and my eyes locked onto the knife he had cut me with. The sight of it made me feel drained, as though there was nothing else in me. I pushed through the thoughts, grabbed the knife, and stuck it in his left leg.

"Should've used the tranquilizer, asshole." I spat. He screamed again, and I ran. I reached the door he had constantly been using, and was blinded by a sudden ray of light. Where the hell was I?

"NYPD! Stop right there!" I heard a man's voice shouting at me, but I didn't realize it was my savior. I kept running, unable to stop.

"Hey! Stop her!" Another voice shouted. It didn't take me long to realize I was surrounded.

"Lily!" This voice made me drop to the ground. It was one I had heard too often. It was my mom. "Drop the guns, it's her!" She rushed over to me.

"Mom." I could only make out one single word.

"You're okay. We're going to get you out of here." She held me close, and I drifted into a world of darkness. "I've got you now." The memory of my mother running toward me will be burned into my brain forever. I had never seen a look of relief so visible on her face before, and I'd never felt more safe in my entire life. I woke up in the hospital, my mother at my bedside.

"Cutting it a little close, don't you think?" I said, my voice cracked beyond belief.

"I have a pretty good track record, let's not worry about how much time it took." She joked back. "You feeling okay?"

"My throat hurts."

"You haven't had water in about a day, it'll be hoarse for a while." She responded.

"Did you get him?" My question caused a moment of silence.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore."

"Is he dead?" I wanted a firm answer.

"No." She rubbed my hand. "But he's going to be locked up for the rest of his life, I promise."

"You should've killed him." I turned my head away from her. "I thought you would've."

"There's a lot of things that go into being a cop. Especially a captain. I can't go around killing people because-"

"Because they kidnapped your daughter. He tortured me."

"I know."

"And you're saying you had to let him go?"

"I didn't let him go."

"You may as well have."

"We can talk about this another time."

"Okay."

"Lil, don't shut down on me. I broke a lot of rules to come get you."

"And that's how it should be. You're my mom." I was glad to be out of the warehouse, but I didn't want to worry about Derek Peters ever again. Thanks to my mom's rule following, I would. A silhouette walked toward my room, and my eyes flicked forward to see my dad.

"She's alive!" He did he best Frankenstein impression, quickly sensing the tension in the room. "Too soon?"

"Maybe a smidge." Mom replied.

"You feeling okay?" He sat down beside her.

"Sure." My voice was still rough.

"Want some water?"

"Sounds good." I really just wanted to sleep more. He grabbed a cup sitting beside my bed and handed it to me. To my surprise, my tired hands were still mobile. I did feel the ache in my muscles, however. The cup felt like a ton of bricks.

"I just talked to the doctor, and he says you can go home tomorrow."

"Great." I mumbled.

"Am I missing something?" Dad asked, looking to mom and then to me.

"No." We both responded at the same time.

"If you say so." He shrugged.

"Do you guys mind leaving for a bit? I'm really tired." I looked at my mom when I said it.

"Not at all. We'll be outside." She nodded.

"Thanks." I closed my eyes, and listened to their footsteps to disappear. I didn't want to be mad at her, but I was. If it were me, I would've taken Derek Peters down. Mom always told us kids that taking a life was the hardest part of her job, but sometimes it needed to be done in order to save a lot of people. If she had taken life before, why couldn't she do it for me?

* * *

 **Hospital**

Kate sat with her head in her hands, thinking about what Lily had just said. She knew what her daughter had gone through, and she knew the thought process of a victim. What she couldn't bear to think about, was how this event would change her daughter forever.

"You okay?" Rick appeared, with coffee in his hands.

"Fine." Kate replied, taking a sip.

"What was that about?" He sat next to her.

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"No." Kate rubbed her temple. "She's mad at me."

"Mad at you? For what?"

"I didn't kill Derek Peters."

"And?"

"I should've."

"Kate," Castle took her hands in his, "You can't go around killing people just because they did something to you personally. He's a bad guy, and he's where all bad guys go. He's off the streets, and you did that."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"Yeah."

"You wanted to, didn't you?" He asked.

"More than anything. And I had the shot, too." Kate replied.

"I'm glad you didn't. It would've eaten you alive for the rest of your life."

"You're right." She sighed.

"I know." He smiled his boyish smile. "Did I tell you I have an idea for a new series?"

"Oh yeah? What is it about?"

"A certain hotshot detective."

"Really? Another Nikki Heat novel? I thought you ran out of steam for her."

"Oh I did, but what about her life now? What about her _kids_?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"You're going to write about our daughter?" Kate asked.

"A badass detective in training." He said. "Doesn't it sound interesting?"

"Very." Kate stood up.

"Where are you going?" Castle asked.

"Well, I'm assuming you want to tell me the entire plot line, so I'm going to get coffee."

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" He stood up as well.

"No." She smiled.

"Well I do, a lot." They shared a soft kiss.

"I love you too, Castle. Always."

* * *

 **Castle Residence**

My recovery wasn't the fastest. I hated being stuck at home, but knew the reason why I had to be there. My mother was the captain of her own precinct, there was no way in hell that I'd be able to leave the house for at least two weeks after that kind of incident. The funny thing was, she stayed with me the whole time. This particular morning was different than the rest. She didn't seem so uptight.

"Morning," She greeted me with a smile as I strolled into the kitchen, "Hopefully you're in the mood for waffles."

"I could eat." I smiled back.

"Wow, that's the first smile I've seen since you've been back."

"I'm finally starting to feel like myself again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." I sat down at the table.

"The nightmares are still there though." She blurted.

"Sorry." I looked down at my empty plate, knowing full well that I had been screaming again.

"Hey, it's okay." She brought a plate of waffles to the table. "I've been there, so has dad."

"Right."

"So, question," She sat next to me, grabbing a waffle of her own, "When are we going to talk about this whole boyfriend situation?" My head snapped up.

"What?" I asked, unable to keep my cool.

"I brought your friends into the precinct the day you went missing, and they told me some interesting things."

"I was going to tell you..."

"So it's true?"

"Kind of."

"How is it 'kind of' true?"

"Okay, it is true. One hundred percent."

"You do have a boyfriend?"

"Yes." The room grew silent. "But not for very long. It's not like I've been keeping this huge secret for a long time."

"I don't know why I had to find out about it in an interrogation." She raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry." I smiled guiltily. "I didn't know how you and dad would take it. And I didn't want you to grill Elliot."

"Too late for that."

"Please tell me you didn't go full cop on him."

"Not full cop. More like half cop."

"Mom!" We laughed together for a minute, causing everything to seem normal once again. After that minute was up, all of the memories of the past few weeks came flooding back. "Why didn't he kill me?"

"I've been asking myself the same question." She couldn't bring herself to look me in the eye. "Every behavioral analysis of the guy says he should've."

"He kept telling me he liked me." I frowned, thinking back to my time with him. "He said I was unlike anyone he'd ever met."

"Don't worry about it, okay? He's long gone." She assured me.

"But he isn't." I looked her dead in the eyes. "He's still alive."

"I'm not going to apologize for not killing someone. Taking a life is a big deal, it's not a tiny little thing."

"And I get that, I almost lost mine."

"He's not getting out. I promise."

"I hope you're right." I took a bite of my waffle, and the doorbell rang. "Are you expecting someone?" I asked my mom.

"No." She frowned, and grabbed her gun from the kitchen counter. "Stay here." I heard her slowly make her way to the front door, and open it with a greeting.

"Who is it?" I got up and made my way to the front of the house. To my surprise, Elliot stood in the doorway.

"Hey." He smiled, and it made me melt.

"I'll, uh, give you two a minute." My mom coughed, giving me a playful look.

"Yeah, bye." I jokingly pushed her towards the other room. "What're you doing here?" I asked Elliot, noticing a single sunflower in his hands.

"Oh, uh," He looked down at it, "This is for you." He handed it to me nervously.

"It's beautiful." I smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

"Really?"

"Well yeah. After a girl is almost killed, she definitely doesn't mind seeing her boyfriend." I let out a nervous laugh.

"I'm sorry I let it happen." He said.

"It wasn't your fault. Even if you were there-"

"I could've stopped it."

"No, you couldn't have." I touched his face with my hand. "Mom said you were instrumental in helping find me."

"I told her I saw a car, I'm not sure how that counts as instrumental." He said grumpily.

"Maybe waffles will help fix your mood." I laughed slightly. "You want to come in for breakfast?"

"I don't know..." He trailed.

"We have plenty!" I heard my mom's voice from the kitchen.

"Sorry about her." I apologized, rolling my eyes.

"She's a good mom." He lightened up a little. "And I would love some waffles."

"Great, let's eat." I was finally feeling like my normal self again, and I couldn't wait to see where life was about to take me.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello everybody! Thank you all for continuing this story. My vacation isn't giving me too much down time, so I figured I'd write my longest chapter yet to tide you over. I wasn't necessarily sure how to continue this after Lily was found, but I think I know where I want to go. This chapter is primarily about how the Castle family tries to get back to normal, and I wanted to do it creatively. Also, the last little bit has Lily in third person, because it starts from Castle's perspective. Hopefully it's not too confusing! Enjoy the latest installment of Blurred Lines!**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **Castle Residence**

After a few more weeks had passed, all I wanted to do was go back to my normal routine. School, soccer, and any other regular activity I was used to doing. But I knew it would take some convincing of my parents.

"I don't think you're ready yet." Mom held her ground.

"I'm not, or you're not?" I shot back.

"Hey, I agree with your mother. I think you should stay here at least another week." Dad of course sided with mom.

"And what'll be different a week from now? Nothing. I'll still be in the same condition; FINE." I tried getting my point across, but just sounded angry.

"You're still having nightmares."

"So? It's not like those nightmares are going to follow me to school."

"You're still scared, which means you'll operate out of fear. Not in your rational mind."

"That's total bullsh-"

"Watch it." Mom warned.

"I get it, you guys are scared to let me out of your sight, but I can't live here forever."

"And we aren't saying forever." Dad sympathized. "We're just suggesting you wait a little longer."

"But this isn't about me. It's about what you want! Do you know what it's like being watched twenty-four seven? It sucks."

"The security detail is here for your safety."

"Duh." I sassed. "But it's time for me to feel like a normal girl again. Right now I feel like a freak." I whined.

"We hear you." Mom nodded. "But this isn't about you feeling self-conscious or wanting to hang out with friends. This is about the fact that you were taken from us, when we weren't looking. We let our guards down, and we almost lost you. I'm sorry, but it's just not time for you to be let go again."

"Bear with us." Dad forced a smile.

"Whatever." I stormed to my room, pissed beyond belief. I found Reese looking through one of my old scrapbooks. "What are you doing?" I asked angrily.

"Uh, nothing." He dropped the book guiltily.

"Who said you could be in my room?" My voice got louder.

"I'm sorry." He looked like he was about to cry.

"No, I'm sorry." I plopped onto my bed. "Mom and dad are being unfair."

"Why?" He regained composure.

"They won't let me get back to my normal life." I sighed, laying onto my back.

"Well yeah, you almost died." He frowned.

"But I'm fine. I know it was scary, I lived it too."

"They don't want it to happen again, and neither do I." He sat next to me, picking up the scrapbook as he did so. "I was looking at this because I was thinking about what life would be like without you in it." He flipped through my family pages. Pictures of us kids at our campsite, mom and I at the shooting range, dad holding me at his first book signing after I was born.

"You shouldn't worry about that." I said. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"You can promise all you want, that doesn't mean you can keep it." He hung his head. "Just be careful. We all love you a lot."

"And I love you." I hugged him tight. He left, taking the book of pictures with him. I sat in my room, reading for a bit. Dinner was silent, at least on my part. My brothers were full of sentences, which carried the conversations at the table. No one tried getting me to engage, as they knew I would remain a steel trap. I cleared my plate into the garbage, and washed it off in the sink.

"Dad wants to play a game of scrabble, you in?" Mom snuck up behind me.

"No, I think I'm gonna go to bed early."

"You can't stay mad at us forever." She stated.

"And you can't keep me trapped forever. Learn to let go." I walked past her, heading back up to my room where I spent the rest of the night alone. All I wanted was to feel like myself again, and they weren't helping. I had just about fallen asleep, when I heard something tapping on my window. The recently kidnapped part of me started freaking out internally. Had Diego Price escaped from prison?

"Lily." I heard a familiar voice whisper loudly outside my window.

"Kelly?" I got up, opening my window as quietly as I could.

"We thought we'd come save you." She winked, motioning to Elliot and Mark, who were standing in my back yard.

"If my mom hears you, she will shoot you." I warned.

"Oh, come on. Live a little."

"I can't."

"You won't."

"They're going to kill me." I whined.

"They'll get over it. Put your shoes on." She smiled. "They shouldn't have put this ladder so close to your window."

"Dad was cleaning out the gutters." I kept my voice low as I pulled on my favorite high-top Vans.

"Your dad is handy?" She joked.

"Rarely. I think he was doing research for his book." I stuck a leg out the window, pulling the rest of my body out slowly. "Leave it open." I said to Kelly, watching her pull the window closed.

"Right." She nodded. She followed me down the ladder, Elliot and Mark helping us off at the bottom.

"I bet your boyfriend here ten bucks you would come." Mark said confidently.

"You didn't think I would?" I looked to Elliot.

"Not for a second." He stated.

"I almost didn't." I said to him, smiling. "You know me well." We shared a laugh.

"It's good to see you, Lil! What do you wanna do?" Kelly gave me a side hug.

"You kidnap me, and have no plan?" I joked.

"The plan was to get you out here. After that, we got nothing." She laughed.

"Let's just walk. I want to hear everything that's been happening." I replied. Spending time with my friends outside of my house was the best decision I could've made. I was on my way back.

* * *

 **Castle Residence**

Kate paced in front of Lily's door, not wanting to knock. How could she go in there and talk to the teenager when she was this angry? It had been a few years since she was mad enough to stay quiet at the dinner table.

"What are you doing?" Jake looked at his mother in confusion.

"Nothing." She lied. "Just checking the floor for, uh, dirt." She frowned at her inability to come up with something believable.

"Oh." He decided not to challenge her.

"What are you still doing up?" She asked.

"Checking for dirt." He smirked.

"Okay, smart ass." She chuckled. "Get back to bed, it's late."

"You should just go in there." He nodded to the door. "She's easy to talk to."

"Thank you for the parenting advice."

"You're welcome." He smiled, wandering back to his own room. Kate shook her head in amusement, admiring the fact that she and Castle had raised such incredible children. Each one of them totally different, but all equally as amazing. She decided to let Lily sleep, wandering back to her room after checking the bulk of the house for anything suspicious.

"How'd tonight's sweep go?" Castle joked, reading in bed.

"Fine." She made a face at him. "I didn't talk to Lily."

"I figured."

"Oh did you?" She slid into the bed next to him, staring up at the ceiling. "It's so frustrating."

"I think you're reading too much into it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Maybe we should let her go back to school." He shrugged.

"What?"

"She's got a right to her own life."

"Castle, she was kidnapped on school property."

"And she could've been kidnapped here. Nothing is ever guaranteed, Kate." He looked at her with empathy. "I'm just as afraid to let her go back, trust me."

"But I'm not scared." Kate admitted. "I'm pissed."

"About?"

"The fact that I wasn't there." She sighed. "I'm the captain of the twelfth precinct. I've closed more cases than I can count, but I almost lost my own daughter. Do you know how humiliating that is?"

"So this is about your ego?"

"No, this is about the fact that I should be able to keep our children safe. I should be able to save them and protect them from anything, and I failed." She closed her eyes.

"You didn't fail." Castle shut his book. "She's here."

"Barely."

"Barely is better than not at all." He reassured her.

"The first thing we promised when we decided to have kids, was that we'd keep them safe. Look how that turned out."

"One kid was kidnapped. We have three. I'd say we've got a pretty good track record." He laughed.

"Castle, this isn't funny!" She smacked him playfully.

"Okay, okay," He settled, "All things considered, I think we're doing a pretty good job."

"I don't do 'pretty good'."

"You better get used to it, because that's all parenting is."

"After seventeen years, you'd think I already knew that."

"Our kids are fine, and they love us. Better yet, they love each other. That's not always easy to accomplish." Castle stated.

"Do you ever think about what life would be like if you hadn't shadowed me at the precinct?"

"No."

"You don't?"

"Never. That life would be incredibly boring, and not a life I'd want to live." He smiled.

"You have such a way with words, Mr. Castle." She raised an eyebrow, leaning in to him.

"Mom! Dad!" Reese burst into the room with a fluster of energy.

"What?" Kate asked, the two pulling apart.

"Lily's gone!" His voice stayed loud.

"What are you talking about?"

"I took her scrapbook earlier and I was going to put it back!" He was unable to make a linear sentence.

"First of all, stop yelling." Kate took his hands in hers, trying to calm him down. "Breathe, and tell us what happened."

"I was in her room earlier, and she got mad. I took her scrapbook because I was looking at the old pictures she had in it, and I forgot to put it back. I went to give it back just now, and she wasn't in her room." His breathing evened out.

"Are you sure she isn't anywhere else in the house?" Castle asked.

"No." Reese frowned at his father's question.

"You're freaking out for nothing." Kate stood up, leading her son through the house. When they got to the third and final room, she started to stress.

"I told you." He wailed.

"Go get your dad." She gave him a quick pat on the back.

"You made me get out of our perfectly comfortable bed." Castle whined, coming up behind his wife.

"She isn't here." Kate whirled around to look at him.

"What?"

"She's not here." Her eyes were wide.

"Are you sure?"

"We need to call Ryan and Esposito."

* * *

 **Neighborhood Park**

The night out with my friends went better than I could've imagined. We spent the evening walking around my neighborhood, hanging out in the grassy area of my favorite park. They laughed as they slid down the tiny baby slide, which I happily joined in on. Elliot pushed me on the swings for a bit, and we caught up on all of our lost kisses.

"You know, I've really missed you." He admitted.

"I know, I'm sorry." We sat in the middle of the grass, his arms around me as I leaned my back into his chest. "I've been trying to get them to let me back in school, but they aren't having it."

"I'll be there, they've got nothing to worry about." He said.

"Oh yeah? You're going to be my security detail?" I laughed.

"If that's what it takes." He replied with complete sincerity. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you ever again."

"Elliot, you're sixteen. My dad couldn't even take this guy."

"Your dad is an author." He scoffed.

"Trust me, he's been trained." I responded. "I have too."

"Well, I could at least call for help." He pouted.

"And I would be so grateful." I tried making up for my lack of faith. "Thanks for not leaving me." I blurted.

"Why would I?"

"Because I'm damaged goods. I've got a lot of baggage now."

"I hate to break it to you, Lil, but you already had baggage." He laughed.

"Hey!" I smacked him.

"Your mom is a captain, your dad is an author, and both of them have headlined major news stories. I knew what I was getting myself into."

"You sure?" I challenged him.

"One hundred percent." He smiled down at me.

"We should probably get you back." Kelly came bounding up to us. "We can pull off a few hours of kidnapping, but they're bound to notice if we push it."

"Yeah, I'm sure they're already calling in their best dogs." I joked, standing up.

"Let's get you back in one piece." Elliot stood up as well, taking my hand in his. I smiled, following after my friends. It took us less than ten minutes to get home, as the park was fairly close to my house. When we got close, we noticed extra cars in my driveway.

"Dude, who would be at your house this late?" Mark asked.

"Look." Kelly pointed to the NYPD stickers on the back windshields of each car.

"They called my uncles!" I smacked a hand to my forehead. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"We'll get you back in your room before they notice anything weird." Elliot assured me.

"Oh really? And you think they haven't noticed yet? They called back up!" I yelled at him.

"Maybe you can pull it off." Kelly said.

"How?"

"I don't know, say you were in the bathroom or something." She shrugged.

"Are you forgetting that my mom is one of the best detectives in New York? She's already checked every room in the house, or she wouldn't have called the others."

"Let's stop arguing, and get in there." Elliot demanded.

"And what do you suggest? I just walk in the front door as if nothing happened?"

"Maybe, I don't know!" He was just as frustrated as I was.

"Just climb back up the ladder and figure something out." Kelly said.

"Yeah, don't you have like, an attic or something?" Mark asked.

"Actually, yeah, I do." I said, an idea forming in my mind. "I can climb into the attic from the roof. I'll just say I couldn't sleep and I went up there to think."

"Mark, you're a hidden genius, aren't you?" Kelly asked.

"Sure." He shrugged, unaware of her compliment.

"Let's go before they call in the SWAT Team." Elliot's words were serious. We all hurried to the back of the house, careful not to be seen by my parents. I started up the ladder, but Elliot stopped me.

"What?" I asked him, eager to continue up the ladder.

"Let's not go so long without seeing each other again, okay?"

"Deal." I smiled, giving him a quick kiss. "You do know you're allowed over here."

"I know, but your dad scares me."

"Seriously?"

"He looks at me weird the whole time. And he always says he's going to name a character in his next book after me."

"That's a compliment." I said.

"The victim." He finished.

"They both like you, trust me." I laughed.

"I like my alone time with you." He leaned closer.

"I'll get them to let me back in school, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." He kissed me, leaving me weak in the knees. "Safe travels!" He whispered loudly behind me as I climbed up the ladder. I made it to the top easily, and tried hard to open the attic window.

"Damn it!" I cursed. The window wouldn't budge. Looked like I was going back into my room. I was hoping to find easy access up to the attic through the main part of the house, but wasn't sure where my parents and co. were stationed. I crawled back through my window like a sneaky burglar, but remained completely quiet. Not even three seconds after entering my room, I was slammed against a wall, feeling a gun pressed against my temple.

"Say a single word, and I'll put a bullet through your brain." My mother's voice was scary.

"It's me." I choked, her forearm crushing my windpipe.

"Lily?" She immediately released her hold, clicking her safety back on. "What the hell!" She yelled, turning on the light.

"I know, I'm in big trouble." I groaned.

"Big trouble? Big trouble doesn't even begin to describe what you're in." Her eyes flashed with anger.

"What's going on?" My dad entered my room in a hurry, followed by Ryan and Esposito.

"Lily?" Uncle Espo looked at me in confusion.

"She snuck out." Mom didn't take her eyes off me.

"Oh." All three guys looked at each other uncomfortably. They knew what kind of ass whooping I was about to receive.

"Uh, we should go." Uncle Ryan said, looking to his partner.

"Yeah, uh, me too." Dad added.

"Don't even think about it, Castle." Mom glared. He looked at me as if I had just created a monster. I gulped, knowing full well that I had made a giant mistake.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Castle wanted nothing more than to go straight to bed, but knew Kate wouldn't allow it. She had asked Esposito to stay with the boys, while she and Castle drove Lily to the 12th. Kate wasn't going to let their teenager off the hook easily.

"Do you think this is really necessary?" He asked. He received a look of annoyance as a response. "Right." He looked away.

"Did you take her to the interrogation room?" Kate asked.

"I did."

"Good." She picked up some files from her desk, and walked out of the room. Castle followed closely behind her.

"Do you think she needs an interrogation? It may be just a tad much." He said sheepishly.

"If you don't like it, you can wait behind the glass." She pointed to the door to the left of the interrogation room.

"I'll be quiet." He said. They entered the room together, Kate obviously putting on her best cop face. She slammed the files down on the table, causing Lily to flinch.

"Really, mom?" She asked.

"I get to talk." Kate put up a hand. "Where were you tonight between twelve and one thirty?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"Just out. O-U-T out." Lily sassed.

"You think this is funny?" The captain slammed a hand on the table.

"Funny? Oh no, definitely not. Ridiculous, yes. So what I snuck out? That doesn't mean I need to be dragged to the precinct at two o'clock in the morning and interrogated like a suspect in a murder case." Lily kept her stubborn demeanor.

"Lil, what you did was serious." Castle added.

"I know, I didn't even want to go in the first place."

"Then why did you?" Kate yelled.

"Because I never get to see my friends!" Lily yelled back. "You keep me cooped up in that house like the boy in the friggin' plastic bubble! I have no life! You expect me not to go out when I have the chance? I just want to go back to school and play sports and not have to worry about the name Diego Price. But you guys can't let it go, and it's suffocating me!" She stared at her parents for a moment, letting the silence hit them. Kate walked out of the room without a word, leaving Castle alone with his daughter.

"It's hard for her, you know." He said.

"And it isn't hard for me? I'm the one who was taken, dad." The teen replied. "It's like she doesn't get it. I didn't think I was coming back, and I was stuck with a creepy old guy who cut me open and had me taped to a chair for almost a week. She had you." This made Castle think. They hadn't truly thought about what things had been like for their daughter. She was alone in a cold warehouse, while they had the comfort of each other. Their side of things wasn't easier than hers, but definitely more secure.

"I'll talk to her." He nodded.

"No, I'd like to." She replied. "I think I need to."

"Sure. I'll go mess with Ryan and Espo's desks." He laughed. Lily got up and ventured out of the room, finding her mother in the armory.

"Really? You planning on shooting me for being bad?" She laughed. Kate's face stayed serious as she looked over the 9mm in her hand.

"Who said you could come out of that room?" She replied, not looking up.

"Dad. You know what a big softy he is." Lily tried keeping her light tone.

"Yeah."

"I wanted to apologize for blowing up on you in there. I'm tired and cranky, and I lost my cool. People tend to do that in an interrogation."

"I'm really disappointed in you." Kate finally looked at her daughter. "You know what I thought?"

"Yeah, actually, I do." Lily stayed even with her mother. "That's what I want to explain to you. That's what I need you to really understand. I lived it too. Maybe even more so."

"I know, you say it a lot." She gave Lily her "mom" look.

"Exactly. Yet you don't seem to hear it." She said. "I had no one, and nothing. I was strapped to a chair, bleeding, and cold. I had to hear his voice every time I woke up, and every time I fell asleep, because he had sedated me. I didn't get to go home and sleep it off and regroup for the next day, mom. I had to power through, thinking that I would never see my family again. Yet here you are, feeling sorry for yourself, and doing what's best for _you_."

"I'm not trying to do what's best for me." Kate's face softened. "I'm thinking about you with every decision I make. And I do listen to you. I'm sorry if you think I'm not doing that, because I am. The only job I ever want to be perfect at is the job of being your mom. I'm constantly thinking about you and your brothers, and maybe it seems as though I'm being overly protective, but that's just how I am."

"I know, but locking us down isn't going to keep us safe. You have to trust us enough to let us live our lives without fear."

"It's hard for me."

"And it's hard for us." Lily looked down. "We love you, but sometimes you have to let us make our own choices."

"How am I supposed to let you walk out the front door every morning, knowing I can't stop someone from hurting you?" The words that left Kate's mouth were the most honest Lily had ever heard.

"The same way you always have." Lily gave a little smile. "You just do."

"Do you remember kindergarten?"

"Totally." Lily replied sarcastically.

"You didn't want to go. At all. And I'm not talking butterflies, I'm talking about a full on meltdown." Kate laughed. "I put you in your favorite little blue dress, and your cute little pigtails, and I put you in the car. As soon as we got to the school, you flipped out. I tried taking you in, but you would _not_ let go of my hand. That's what I remember, the little girl who didn't want to leave me."

"You know what I remember? You repeatedly asking me if I wanted you to come in with me in sixth grade, and me repeatedly telling you no. That's who I am."

"You can't expect me to forget my baby."

"This may sound cliché', but I'll always be your baby. I couldn't change that even if I tried." Lily smiled.

"But?"

"But you have to let me off the leash."

"You want to go back to school."

"Desperately."

"Fine. But I'm sending a security detail with you."

"Deal." Lily said excitedly. "Now can we please go home? I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, let's go find your dad." Kate laughed. "He's probably messing up the desks."

"Oh he definitely is." The two walked out of the room, side by side, and neither of them had felt safer in a long time.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I received quite a bit of criticism from my last chapter, and I apologize if it made my readers lose faith in my abilities as an author. That being said, I stick by my chapters and what I write. I write these characters the way that I see them, which is what makes every author unique in their own way. It may not seem realistic to some, but this is fan fiction. Nothing is exactly realistic in a fantasy world, you know? I appreciate the feedback given by each and every one of you, so I will take your words into account with my upcoming chapters. As always, thank you so much for your continued support, that's what keeps writers going! Enjoy this next chapter of Blurred Lines!**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **Castle Residence – 2017**

Getting Kate to settle down was tough. Not in the sense of settling down to start a family, but in the sense of relaxing and staying calm. She was constantly searching for a case, even though the doctor demanded she take it easy.

"Would you please sit down?" Castle asked, writing at his computer.

"I can't." Kate paced back and forth in the living room, frowning while she thought.

"I think you can." Castle quipped.

"This is the biggest case the precinct has had in years, and I can't do anything to help." She whined.

"Exactly. So you should sit down and relax."

"Relax?" She whirled on him. "How about you grow another human inside of you and then tell me to relax. Hormones are the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life." She growled, looking down at her gigantic stomach.

"Well, said human will be out in a few days." He smiled. "Which is why you should be taking it easy."

"I've been taking it easy for the past three months, Castle. I'm goin a little stir crazy here." She plopped into the couch behind her. They had a scare a few months back, where Kate was rushed to the hospital after suffering through major pains. She had a rare condition that could lead to premature birth, and even hemorrhaging during delivery. The doctor ordered her to stay home and rest as much as possible. That doctor obviously knew nothing about Katherine Beckett.

"You don't say." He rolled his eyes, staring at his computer. A book came flying at his head within seconds. "What?"

"I want her out." Kate groaned, throwing her head back onto the cushion. "How do we get her out faster?"

"I think we should let her decide."

"Castle."

"What? I'm serious. If you over do it, things could go badly." His words were filled with worry.

"You're not scared are you?" She joked. When he stayed silent, she knew she had hit a nerve. "You're being serious?"

"Did you not hear what Doctor Jones said?"

"Of course I did, but he's a doctor. He's supposed to scare us."

"It's his job to tell us if things could go wrong, and in our case, they could."

"Were you this paranoid with Alexis?"

"I didn't have to be. Meredith was healthy the whole way through, and you aren't. So just, please, sit there and stop worrying about a case for once." He snapped.

"I'm going to be fine." Kate struggled to get up, making her way over to her husband. "We've survived way too much for this to end up badly."

"That's the thing. Maybe we've already survived too much."

"What can I do to make you stop worrying?" She asked, sitting on his lap.

"Well for one thing, you can stop crushing my legs." He feigned pain.

"Ha ha, very funny. Let's make fat jokes at the emotional pregnant woman." She rolled her eyes at him.

"I don't want to lose you." His eyes were sad.

"You won't. It's a baby, not a bullet." She responded.

"Babies are sometimes just as bad." He laughed.

"Do you think we're ready for this?"

"Of course. You're not second guessing yourself now, are you? We've only got a few days until we have to be responsible."

"I thought we already were responsible?"

"Oh my dear Katherine, we are anything but responsible." He laughed again. "But yes, I do think we're ready."

"I'm glad one of us does."

"What are you most afraid of?" He asked.

"I don't know, that I'll screw her up. Maybe drop her on her head."

"Don't you dare tell anyone this, but I dropped Alexis when she was a baby. Not a far distance, but enough to bump out some brain cells."

"Look how she turned out."

"Exactly." He smiled. "You'll be fine."

"Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"We keep her safe. And if we have any more after this, we keep them safe too."

"What do you mean?"

"We're Beckett and Castle, we always end up in trouble at one point or another. I don't want our kids to get involved in any of it."

"I promise we will keep our children safe." He nodded, sealing it with a kiss. "Now, I've got to write at least one more chapter before this kid comes popping out."

"If you wanted to get any work done today, you shouldn't have kissed me at all." She closed his laptop with one hand, pressing her lips against his.

"I'm really going to miss these hormones." He managed to say, kissing her back. After a few seconds, she pulled away. "Or not."

"No, Castle, I think my water just broke." She looked genuinely nervous, something Castle rarely saw.

"What?" He asked, still mesmerized by her kiss.

"We have to go." She stood up, rushing to the front door.

"Oh, like this baby is coming now?" He called.

"Yes! Let's go!" She shut the front door, heading to the car in a hurry. Castle opened his laptop, typed out a quick sentence or two about the current situation, then made his way to the car as well. His second baby was almost ready to make her entrance into the world.

* * *

 **Castle Residence – 2032**

I hated going to sleep. Just when I thought my mind was starting to forget my time with Diego Price, a nightmare would remind me. I was always exhausted, trying hard not to let my eyes close. I had started getting bad grades (for me anyway) in school, and coach had benched me the last few games. Most nights, I would stay up reading.

"I thought I saw your light on." Mom opened my door. "What are you still doing up?"

"Homework." I lied.

"You have to be up early, lights out okay?" She turned to leave, and I couldn't help but feel a little scared.

"I think I'm getting sick, I don't know if I should go to school tomorrow." I blurted.

"You seem fine." She frowned.

"Yeah, but I feel something coming on. It's probably best for me to sleep it off."

"Or you could sleep it off now, and be fine in the morning." She responded, raising a brow.

"Okay." I nodded.

"Is there a specific reason why you don't want to go to school?" She asked.

"No."

"You and Elliot are okay?"

"Its fine, mom." I shrugged.

"You know, I'm going to stand here until you talk to me."

"I haven't really been sleeping." I said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't." I looked at her. "Every time I close my eyes, I see him."

"I thought we were getting past this." She came and sat down next to me. "You said you were doing better."

"I thought I was, but lately it's been worse."

"And you didn't say anything, because you wanted us to think everything was fine. Listen, you're more like me than you realize."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I gave a slight laugh.

"Honestly, it's a bit of both. It took me a long time to fully realize that I had a good team who would back me no matter what, and would help me when I needed it. But I had to learn when to ask for help. You have a good team too, and you can ask us for help when you need it."

"I didn't want you to worry about me. I had a hard enough time getting you to let me back at school."

"Lil, you can always talk to me." She put a hand on mine. "Or dad. Or your friends."

"I know."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." I forced a smile.

"Do you want me to stay in here until you fall asleep?" She asked.

"No, I'm fine."

"What did we just talk about? You told me you haven't been sleeping."

"I'm sixteen, I don't need my mommy." I scoffed.

"You were kidnapped." She stated. "You're lucky I haven't been sleeping in here already."

"I think I want to talk to someone." I let out a breath. "Like, professional."

"That's fine. We suggested that to you a while ago."

"I know, but I wasn't ready. Now I am."

"We'll get you in to see someone tomorrow." She gave me a reassuring look. "After school." She added the last part with her mom voice.

"Thanks." I replied. We sat in silence for a moment. "Uh, you can go now." I laughed.

"I think I'll stay."

"Really, mom, I'm fine now. Your talk helped."

"Prove it." She challenged.

"Fine." I sassed back, shutting my book and settling into my bed. It took a lot for me to close my eyes. I was just about to fall asleep when something jolted me back to reality. It was like my brain knew what nightmare was about to come.

"You're safe." I heard my mother's quiet voice, her hand stroking my hair.

"Thanks for coming to get me." My voice was soft and tired.

"Always."

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct**

Work hadn't quite so easily gone back to normal for Kate. The weight of almost losing her daughter hung heavily on her shoulders, and people had begun to notice.

"Got a sec, cap?" Esposito entered her office after a single knock.

"Sure, come right in." She said sarcastically.

"Uh, Ryan and I have been talking, and we think you could use a few more days off."

"Oh really?" She dropped the file she was reading onto her desk, lacing her hands together on top of it.

"It's just...you've been off lately."

"I thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. And I truly mean that."

"Are you sure? Because-"

"Javi." She stared at him. "If I need leave, I will tell you."

"Right." He nodded.

"Guys, we have a homicide." Ryan peered into the room, out of breath.

"Did you run here?" Espo asked.

"Maybe." Ryan retorted.

"Let's go." Kate shook her head playfully. She called Castle on the way to the crime scene, as he had expressed interest in working with her again. She wasn't sure how she felt about him making a story based on what had happened to Lily, but didn't want to say anything.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late." He arrived in true Castle fashion, with two coffee's in hand. "One for you." He handed one to his wife.

"I should keep you around." She smirked.

"Cap, over here." Esposito called from several feet away. The body had been found in a local park, hidden behind a large tree.

"Yikes." Castle said. "Someone was angry." The victim had three stab wounds to the head, with both hands cut off.

"Vic's name was Vanessa Rollins, twenty-five years old." Ryan looked into her wallet.

"Cause of death was obviously the stabs to the head." Kate looked at the victim closer, images of Lily being tortured popping into her mind.

"You okay?" Castle asked, noticing her shift in look.

"Fine. Just a headache." She replied.

"Her listed address is just a few blocks up from here, we're gonna go check it out." Ryan said.

"Make sure you're careful. You never know." Kate warned.

"We're always careful, it's us." Espo smiled.

"Let's get her back to the precinct and see if she had any drugs in her system. Make sure Lanie examines her ASAP." Kate looked to the medical examiner on the scene.

"That didn't look like a headache." Castle whispered in his wife's ear as she stood up.

"Weird." She replied.

"Are you sure-"

"Castle, drop it." She whirled on him. "You're the second person today who's asked me repeatedly if I'm okay."

"Okay." He nodded, backing off.

"I want to pick up the kids today, would you mind helping Ryan and Espo back at the precinct later?"

"Not at all." He smiled. "I can do it if you need me to."

"I've got it."

"Captain, the reporters are asking for a statement." A fellow officer walked over to the partners.

"I'll be right over." She looked to the mass of camera's forming around the park area. "Meet them back at the precinct and I'll be right behind you."

"Sure." He watched her walk away, an uneasy feeling washing over him. She was hiding something, and he wasn't quite sure what it was. He was going to figure it out, one way or another. All he could do was let her excel at her job, and worry about the other things later.

* * *

 **High School**

I hadn't exactly thought the idea of a security detail through. Mom had put five of them on me, and it got annoying fast. Two of them were stationed at the back of the school, two of them in front, and one was ordered to follow me around inside of the building. He sat in all of my classes with me, and it creeped everyone out.

"Dude. Does he ever like, use the bathroom?" Kelly met me by my locker once the final bell rang.

"I don't think so." I laughed.

"You should tell your parents you're fine." She said. I smiled in agreement, not wanting to share with her that I wasn't fine. Like my mom said, I had a hard time admitting when I needed help.

"It's mostly my mom. Dad just kind of agrees with her." I shrugged.

"Yeah, good luck trying to convince her." Kelly nodded.

"Hey, party at my place tonight?" Mark appeared out of nowhere, like usual.

"I can't." I replied.

"Why?"

"Uh, because of what happened?" I didn't want them to know I was going to see a therapist. Mostly because I knew they'd give me pity looks and constantly ask how I was doing. We had just gotten passed all of that, and I didn't want to start it again.

"So? You snuck out before."

"And I almost got my ass handed to me by my parents." I said, adding a tone.

"I can be there." Kelly smiled sweetly. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the officer walking toward me.

"Your mother is waiting for you out front." He nodded at me.

"My mom?" I asked. Usually dad came to get us. I made my way outside slowly, as I always felt confined in my house and hated going home. Just as the officer had said, it was my mother who had parked out front. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"What? I'm not allowed to come get my kids?"

"You don't normally." I frowned, getting in the passenger side. "I thought we were trying to get back to normal."

"I figured I would take you to your appointment."

"Oh." We sat in silence for a few moments. "I slept pretty well last night."

"I noticed." She laughed.

"What? Did I snore or something?"

"When you're out, it's visible." She smiled at me. "When you were a baby, I'd watch you sleep all the time. The only way we could get you to shut your eyes was if someone was holding you. Most of the time that was me. You used to sleep with your arm over your face, and you still do it when you're sleeping really hard."

"Most people would call that creepy." I joked.

"Every parent watches their kid sleep at least once, I promise you." She sassed back. It didn't take long for us to get to the middle school and pick up my brothers, both of whom were unusually quiet. Mom and I shared a glance, knowing something was up with them. "How was school?" She asked, looking at the through the rearview.

"Fine." Reese's elbow rested on the side of the car door, his chin in his hand.

"Anything fun happen?"

"Not really." Jake held the same position as his twin, on the opposite side of the car.

"We could probably pull over and beat it out of them." I suggested, trying to create a lighter mood. The boys didn't take the bait.

"Boys." Mom whipped out her famous tone. "What happened?"

"Can we talk to you about it later?" Jake asked.

"Sure." She frowned slightly, confused as to why they didn't want to say anything. I frowned too, unable to think of a reason why they didn't want to talk about their day in front of me. I was sure that was the reason, because Jake came me a tiny look before answering her. Mom parked the car once we arrived at the office.

"You don't have to come in." I told her, stopping her from taking off her seat belt.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I nodded. "I need to do this alone."

"Okay, I'll be back in an hour to get you."

"Sounds good." I opened the car door, making my way into the building. At first I was lost, not able to find the correct door in the long hallway, but eventually I found the correct one.

"Hi, how can I help you?" The receptionist was cheerful.

"I'm here to see Doctor Lewis." I replied.

"Lily Castle?"

"That's me." I forced a smile.

"Great, if you want to wait over there he'll be out in a second." She pointed to a row of chairs behind me. I sat down, looking at the array of depression pamphlets and People Magazines. After what seemed like years, Doctor Lewis came out of his office.

"You must be Lily." He smiled at me, motioning for me to follow him. His office was alarmingly clean, and it smelled like the basic wax candles you find at Walmart. "Have a seat." He nodded to the couch in front of his main chair.

"Nice office." I said.

"Thank you, I've spent a lot of time cleaning it." He responded. "So why are you here?"

"I don't really know."

"Did someone force you to come in?"

"No, I asked."

"There must have been a reason."

"Well, I mean, I was kidnapped a few months ago. I haven't really dealt with it." I shrugged.

"Kidnapped?" He asked, writing on his notepad.

"My mom is a cop. A captain, actually. One of her old cases kinda came back to bite her in the ass, and I was taken."

"I see." He frowned. "And what happened while you were gone?"

"A lot." I looked down.

"This is a safe space, Lily. What we talk about here won't be talked about anywhere else." He reassured me.

"I don't know if I can talk about it yet." I said quietly.

"Okay, we can work up to it. How's life at home?"

"Good."

"You get along with your family?"

"Yeah, they're great."

"Are they helping you with your problems?"

"I don't really talk to them about it. I guess I sort of talked to my mom about it last night, but I don't like sharing any of it with them."

"Didn't they go through it too?" He asked. This made me think for a moment. I had thought about what they must have felt, but not what they had really gone through while I was gone.

"Yeah."

"So maybe they understand better than anyone else how you're feeling." He said.

"They probably do." I nodded. "But we're a strong family. We've been through more than a lot of people, and we don't necessarily share our feelings." I added.

"Maybe it's time you start."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The last time I updated this story, I had some seriously harsh comments. But after this year long hiatus and another re-watch of the series, I've decided to come back to it. I think there's more to tell here, and I don't want to quit just because two people said it was unrealistic. So, here I am, with another update of Blurred Lines. I hope you enjoy, and if you don't, I can't wait to read those comments either! ;)**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **Barnes and Noble - 2020**

Kate still wasn't used to being a mother. It was something she had constantly thought about since marrying Castle, but it wasn't something that came naturally to her. She always worried about the things that could happen to her on the job, leaving her daughter motherless, just like she had been.

"They held each others' hands, unknowing of what would come next, but prepared to spend the rest of their lives together figuring it out." Castle had just finished the last page of Eternal Heat, his final Nikki Heat novel. The crowd roared with applause, causing Kate to smile at her husband. Everything they had done together seemed like it was finished, but it had really only just begun.

"I think they liked it." Kate said, Castle walking up to her.

"It was a solid ending." He agreed. "And a pretty truthful one."

"Dad!" Lily clapped in Kate's arms. The two-year-old shouted her favorite word. Kate handed Lily over to Castle, watching his eyes light up as he interacted with his daughter.

"How about we finish today off at the park?" She asked.

"I think that's a great idea." He smiled. "It should only take me a half hour to sign these books."

"We'll wait." Kate took the toddler back. Luckily for her, there was a kids play area by the children's section. She loved watching her daughter discover new things. It made her feel as though she was doing something right.

"Kate!" Alexis Castle's voice filled her ears.

"Hey, Alexis." They greeted each other with a hug. "I'm glad you could make it."

"And miss the last Nikki Heat release? Never." The redhead smiled.

"Lesis!" Lily waddled up to her sister, her arms outstretched. "Big hug!"

"How's everything going?" Alexis picked her little half-sister up, looking to her step-mother.

"Good. Tiring. Fast." Kate replied. "How's law school? We haven't had a chance to catch up in a while."

"Good. Tiring. Fast." Alexis mimicked Kate's words. "I think I'm going to stick with it. It's what I want to do."

"I think you'll make a great lawyer."

"Alexis." Castle strolled over to his eldest child.

"Dad." She smiled, giving him a hug.

"I didn't think you'd make it. You're so busy with school."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." She smiled. "So what are we doing today?"

"You have a whole day?" He teased.

"Just for you guys."

"We were going to hit the park." Kate said. "Give this one a chance to run her energy out." She stroked Lily's head.

"Park!" Lily clapped.

"Sounds fun." Alexis agreed.

"You sure?" Castle asked. "Spending the day with your dad isn't technically 'cool'."

"I miss my family. It sounds like the coolest thing in the world."

"It's settled then." He smiled. "Park day with three of my favorite girls."

"Maybe we should invite your mom? Make it an even four." Kate said.

"Why not?" He laughed. "She'll bring the adult juice."

* * *

 **Castle Residence - Present Day 2032**

Castle liked cooking for his family. Most of the time, he had dinner prepared long before Kate made it home. It was an unspoken ritual they had fallen into.

"Hey." Kate's voice filled the house.

"In here!" He called back. Within seconds, Jake and Reese has run into the kitchen.

"What're you making today, dad?" Jake asked.

"A family favorite." Castle replied, lifting the lid off the pan in front of him. "Spaghetti and meatballs." He wiggled his brows.

"Yes!" The boys said at the same time.

"Smells good." Kate entered the kitchen next.

"Where's Lil?"

"Talking with Dr. Lewis."

"Oh."

"We'll save her some spaghetti." Reese licked his lips.

"Alright, you two, time for that little chat we talked about." Kate sat the down in the chairs at the counter. She stood next to Castle, staring her sons in the eyes.

"It was nothing, mom." Jake avoided eye contact.

"Really." Reese nodded.

"What am I missing?" Castle looked to his wife.

"Something happened at school today, and they aren't filling me in." The 'mom voice' was prominent.

"Boys?" Castle asked. "What happened?"

"This kid was saying things about Lily." Reese confessed. "Mean things."

"Yeah, he was saying that she should've died because no one likes her anyway." Jake chimed in. "So we beat him up."

"You what?" Kate asked.

"He shouldn't have been talking about her like that!" Reese yelled. "He needed to learn his lesson."

"I don't teach you boys how to defend yourselves so that you can hurt other people. It's to make sure you stay safe in case something happens. Did you use any moves that I taught you?"

"A few." Jake mumbled.

"Promise me it won't happen again." She warned.

"But-"

"No 'buts'." Castle said. "Your mother is right. You can't hurt people because sometimes they say mean things. You have to let it roll off your back, and keep going with your day. If you stopped to fight with everyone who had ever said something rude, you'd probably be in juvi."

"Fine." Jake huffed. "But I'm not sorry."

"Me either." Reese agreed. "Nobody talks about our sister that way."

"Did you at least give him a black eye?" Kate asked, causing all three guys to look at her.

"Kate." Castle nudged her playfully.

"What?" She looked at him. "I'm not saying it's okay to do it again, but I just want to know."

"Oh we beat his ass, mom." Jake's face lit up.

"Language." Kate and Castle both said at the same time.

"Can we go do some homework before dinner?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, we'll call you down when it's ready." Castle replied. He shook his head with a laugh as he watched his sons race up to their rooms.

"You got a call from the school today, didn't you?" Kate asked.

"Of course I did." He smirked.

"You know, I'm kinda glad they beat that kid's ass."

"Me too." They shared a laugh. "So, therapy."

"I think it'll be good for her. It was good for me." Kate replied, helping Castle with the cooking. "Maybe she'll open up some more."

"I think that's what I'm afraid of." He said. "What if she opens up about being scared and alone, and it makes us feel like failures?"

"We already know she was. She was taken, and we didn't stop it from happening. That's failure enough as it is. We just have to deal with it and try to move on with her. If she's not dwelling, we shouldn't either."

"You're right." He sighed.

"Aren't I always?" She gave him a mischievous grin. They shared a quick kiss before her phone started to buzz. "It's Lily, her appointment is over."

"I'll keep dinner warm until you get back."

"I'm counting on it." With that, she was out of the house once more.

* * *

 **Dr. Lewis' Office Building**

I really liked this guy. He seemed like a therapist worth talking to. It helped that I had a prominent father figure in my life, because I wasn't so afraid to open up to men. Mom had said that if I didn't like Dr. Lewis, we could always find me a different therapist, but I did like him.

"So, I want you to work on remembering the events of that day. I know you've blocked out specific portions, but going back and walking yourself through them can sometimes help. If it becomes to much, simply distract yourself with something else." Dr. Lewis looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"And no talking about it with my parents?" I asked.

"I don't know if you're there yet." He replied. "For now we should stick with focusing on yourself."

"Gotcha." I picked up my phone and sent my mom a text. "Thank you for everything."

"It's only been forty-five minutes." He chuckled.

"I know, but I already feel better."

"Talking can do that, especially victims of kidnapping."

"We'll see how I feel by next week." I stood up. "I'll let you know how the remembering thing goes."

"Document it." He nodded to me before I left his office.

"See you next time, sweetie." The receptionist looked at me.

"Thanks." I said back. I made my way outside to the front of the building. It wasn't completely dark, but the sun had definitely faded. I waited for a good twenty minutes before mom pulled up.

"What're you doing outside by yourself?" She immediately asked.

"Everyone is still in there, I'm fine." I looked to the building.

"What if someone had grabbed you? No one would be able to hear you if you had been drugged again."

"Mom, I'm okay."

"That's not the point." She frowned. "Someone could've-"

"There's always a chance of 'someone could've'." I cut her off. "That's why I'm in therapy. I need to start moving on and feeling safe again."

"But Lil, if you feel too safe, something bad could happen again."

"I won't ever feel too safe again, mom. I promise you that." I replied.

"How did it go?" She changed the subject.

"Good." I replied. "I feel better."

"You were only there for forty-five minutes." She mimicked Dr. Lewis.

"You sound like my therapist." I laughed. "I don't know, I feel lighter."

"I know what you mean."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did you always want to be a cop?" I looked to her.

"Not always, no." She kept her eyes on the road. "Why?"

"What caused you to join the NYPD?"

"When my mom was killed, I wanted to bring justice to her and to others like her."

"When you found her killer, did you want to kill him?"

"Yes." She nodded. "But I didn't."

"The same way you didn't kill Diego Price."

"Exactly." She said. "You can't always take matters into your own hands. There comes a time when you realize that a lot of things have to be done a certain way. And while you want it to be done differently, that may even feel worse."

"Was it hard? Letting him go?"

"Which one?" She laughed. "Yes."

"So how did you do it?"

"Let them go? I leaned on your dad." She shrugged. "You have to remember the ones you love most, and how your actions will affect them."

"Do you think I'd be a good cop?" I asked. This caused her to hesitate. She didn't want me to follow in her footsteps, and I could see the fear in her eyes. She knew that I was contemplating a life with the NYPD.

"You have a lot of time to figure out who and what you want to be." She let out a breath.

"That wasn't my question." I pressured.

"I think you're a little too much like me." She said.

"Which means I'd be an amazing cop." I stated.

"It means you'd be the best." She agreed. "Now, I'm not saying you should do it."

"I'm not saying I'm going to. Just a question." I leaned my head against the window, staring out into the world.

"How about we just take things one day at a time."

"I'm okay with that."

"Good."

"Can Elliot come over for dinner tomorrow?" I threw the question out with ease.

"I'll have to talk to dad, but I don't see why not."

"I really like him."

"You want to tell me about it?"

"Where do I start?"

"How about the beginning."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey all! What a welcome back! I thank you all for the praise, it means a lot. I'm also open to hear some of that constructive criticism I was getting with my last few chapters last time I updated. I've been sticking to fluff lately, and it's so fun to write, but I wanted to get back to the action of the story! I'm all for direction and suggestion, I just wasn't a fan of the basic "you suck" and "they wouldn't say/do that". Anywho, this journey is not as much for myself as it is my readers. I hope you enjoy this new chapter of Blurred Lines! This is one of my longest chapters yet, and I hope it tides you over until the next one, which won't be coming as fast. Don't forget to leave comments!**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **Hunter College Elementary School - 2023**

Lily Castle had just turned five years old, and her father had already enrolled her in a private elementary school built for gifted children. He was determined to shape her into a genius before she hit ten.

"Are you sure she's ready?" Kate had made a feast for the family in the kitchen.

"I think with your pancakes, she can conquer the world." He smiled.

"Rick, I'm being serious." She frowned. "Maybe we should wait a year."

"Wait?" He stopped. "Why wait when she's already in?"

"I don't like this." Lily stepped into the kitchen, her tiny feet scuffing the floor. She was frowning in her little red dress, the uniform that the school had required everyone to wear.

"It's so adorable." Castle picked up his phone, snapping numerous pictures. Kate couldn't help but smile at her daughter. Her little pouty face was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"It's itchy." Her frown stayed plastered on her face. Her hair was loose, and it fell in bouncy curls that she kept pushing out of her face.

"Maybe I can help." Kate picked Lily up, sitting her in one of the kitchen chairs. "Better?" She asked, pulling Lily's hair back into a ponytail.

"A little." Lily replied.

"Eat some pancakes, you'll feel better." Castle placed a plate in front of her.

"Ew." She stuck her nose up at them.

"What do you mean, 'ew'? You love pancakes."

"No I don't."

"Still think she's ready?" Kate whispered to her husband.

"She's going." He stated. "Whether she likes it or not."

They waited for the twins' nanny to show up before leaving. The drive to the preschool was silent. Castle finally got Lily to eat some fruit and toast before getting into the car. She was definitely more of a daddy's girl, while the twins made sure to take up as much of Kate's time as they could. The two-and-a-half-year-old's loved tag teaming against her, but she didn't necessarily mind. It helped her dive into the role of motherhood better than she had with Lily.

"You're going to have a great day." Kate turned around in the drivers seat.

"I don't think so." Lily's arms were folded in her car seat.

"Come on, cheer up." Castle got out and opened her door. "You can tell us all about it when we come to pick you up."

"I love you." Kate said, watching as Castle took Lily's little hand, leading her up the steps to the school. After about ten steps, they stopped, and Castle turned around. He made his way back to the car, opening the passenger side door.

"She wants you." He said to Kate.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." He nodded. Kate did her best to wipe the surprised look off her face as she stepped out of the car and made her way up to her daughter, crouching down to her level.

"What's going on, baby?" She asked.

"What if no one likes me?"

"You are going to make so many friends in there." Kate assured her, rubbing her arms. "Just tell them your joke about the cow." This caused Lily to chuckle.

"That is a funny joke." She smiled. "Were you scared?"

"More scared than you are." Kate replied. Of course she didn't remember how she felt at five years old, but she knew what needed to be said in order to get her daughter through the front doors.

"Okay." Lily nodded. "Let's go." She took Kate's hand, puffed out her little chest, and walked up the rest of the steps and into the school. This wing was specifically sectioned off for the first three grades, which made it easier. Nervous kindergartners clutched their parents' hands as though they were about to enter the gates of hell.

"This one is your room." Kate steered Lily into the fourth room on the left of the entrance hallway.

"It's big." Lily whispered.

"Okay parents, you can help your children find their names on the desks, and then it's time to say goodbye." The teacher was standing at the front of the room.

"Mommy." Lily tugged on Kate's coat.

"What?"

"She looks like the bad lady in daddy's last book."

"Make sure you don't tell her that." Kate couldn't help but let out a tiny laugh. "Here's your name."

"I don't want you to go." Lily clung to her mother, and it made it extremely hard for Kate to let go. "Don't make me stay here."

"Listen," Kate got down onto Lily's level once more, "You are going to be just fine. But if you come home today, and tell me you hate it, we can wait another year. But I really need you to try."

"Okay." Lily nodded.

"Good." Kate smiled. "Now, give me a kiss and then I have to go." She stood up.

"You're going to pick me up, right?" Lily asked.

"I promise, I'll be here." Kate gave her daughter one last hug before leaving the room. On the way back to the car, she felt herself starting to get emotional. She didn't get emotional.

"How'd she do?" Castle was eager to hear all about it.

"Part of me wants to stay here just in case she needs us." Kate sighed. "You should've seen her little face."

"I can't believe she didn't want me to take her in." He pondered. "I mean, not that it's a problem."

"I was just as surprised as you." She laughed. "Trust me."

"What do we do now?"

"I for one, have to go to work."

* * *

 **Castle Residence - Present Day 2032**

I couldn't figure out what to wear. Part of me wanted to dress up, but another part realized that I rarely do. My relationship with Elliot was based on my t-shirt and jeans look, only because it was a look I donned every day.

"You ready yet?" Dad gave my door a soft knock before opening it.

"Do I look ready?" I whirled around in a huff of defeat.

"It's just dinner." Dad laughed. "I think you should stick with pants, though." He looked at my dress in confusion.

"Everything has to go perfectly." My tone acted as somewhat of a warning. "You all know that, right?"

"Elliot has been over for dinner plenty of times."

"As my friend." I gave him a look.

"Your mother gives me that same look when I'm about to get in trouble."

"Then you get the message." I kept my stare.

"Everything will be fine." He assured me. "As long as you get out of that thing." He dodged a shoe I threw at him, leaving the room just as quickly as he had entered. I took the dress off, swapping it for a yellow off-the-shoulder top, and dark blue jeans. We didn't wear shoes in our house, so I made sure my nail polish was on point. My ever-messy hair hung in my face, but I let it. Elliot always told me he loved it down.

"Wow, going out?" Mom teased as I walked into the kitchen.

"Too much?" I felt myself freaking out internally.

"Just a joke." She retracted, sensing my impending meltdown. "He likes tacos, right?"

"He likes everything." I nodded. "But he is a vegetarian, so we can't eat any meat."

"What?" She looked up from the pan full of beef. "Why didn't you say anything before now?" She was about to throw the full pan into the garbage when she noticed me laughing.

"I had to get you back." I shrugged playfully.

"Just wait until the childhood pictures come out." She sassed with a smile.

"You wouldn't dare." I said.

"Wouldn't dare what?" Dad made his way into the kitchen.

"Nothing." Mom and I said in unison.

"Embarrassing photos?" Dad looked to mom.

"Are you guys being serious?" My eyes flashed with terror, causing them to stifle laughs. "I swear, if you-" My sentence was cut short by the ringing of the front doorbell.

"I got it!" I heard Reese's voice shout.

"No, I got it!" Jake wasn't far behind.

"You should probably make sure they don't tackle him." Dad suggested.

"You think?" The twins loved Elliot. They had always wished for an older brother. Before they knew where babies came from, they begged mom and dad for a replica of Peyton Manning.

"My throw is getting a lot better." Reese was boasting about his football accomplishments.

"Guys, how about you invite him in?" I looked to my boyfriend. "Hey."

"Wow, you look great." He smiled at me. He wasn't wearing his usual zip up hoodie with cargo pants. His khaki's had obviously been pressed, and he was in a sea blue sweater.

"You look put together." I joked.

"I'm always put together." He winked.

"Those for me?" I looked to the bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"No actually, these are for the captain." He made his was through the door, knowing how to get to the kitchen already. The boys led the way, with me taking the back. Mom and dad were putting the finishing touches on the dinner table.

"There he is." Dad looked at his watch. "Twenty seconds late."

"Oh, sorry. My bike has this wheel that-"

"He was joking." Mom gave him a quick look of sympathy.

"Right." Elliot swallowed.

"Mom, Elliot brought those for you." I nodded my head towards the flowers, which he outstretched in her direction.

"They're beautiful, thank you." She smiled at him.

"None for me?" Dad asked. I shot him a look as Elliot laughed.

"I'm starving." Jake whined. "Is it time to eat yet?" As if on cue, the timer on the oven let off a small _ding!_

"Looks that way." Mom nodded. We all sat down at the same time, everyone silent except for dad. He couldn't help but crack jokes and make Elliot feel as uncomfortable as possible. He was good at making people sweat.

"So, Elliot, what do you do for a living?"

"Uh, I go to school." He looked at me.

"What about outside of school?" Dad took a bite.

"I work at Subway on the weekends."

"Ah, a sandwich connoisseur." He joked. "If you were stranded on a deserted island, what would be your one sandwich of choice?"

"Would that be my only meal every day?" Elliot started thinking.

"I mean, until you were rescued of course."

"Really?" I looked to my mom. She gave me a small shrug.

"I would say meatball." Reese said through a mouthful of taco. "That's the best one."

"Ew no, it would definitely be steak." Jake disagreed.

"Are we seriously doing this right now?" I looked around the table.

"Well, you have to have something with meat in it for protein, but a good healthy bread." Elliot ignored me. "I would probably go with a Chicken Bacon Ranch."

"What?" Dad almost choked. "How could you not choose roast beef?"

"We sell like one of those a month." Elliot laughed.

"Lil?" Dad looked to me.

"I am not doing this." I looked at my plate.

"It's a good question." Elliot chimed in. I gave him a look. "What?"

"Fine. Mine would be an Italian BMT." I rolled my eyes.

"That's actually a pretty good one." Elliot nodded. I sighed, going back to my meal. Dad and Elliot spent the rest of the night talking about video games and books they both liked. I felt as though I had inadvertently created a bromance that I couldn't take back. Dad decided to give Elliot a tour of his office, while mom and I did dishes.

"That wasn't so bad." She said, running a dish under the tap.

"If you say so." I groaned,taking it from her and placing it into the dishwasher.

"He's just trying to stay relevant."

"By stealing my boyfriend?" I asked.

"Honey, you're growing up. It's hard for us to admit that you won't need us much longer. Especially your father." She looked at me with sad eyes.

"You know I'll always need you guys." I admitted. "How could I not?"

"Maybe you should tell him that." She replied. We finished up in the kitchen, and I got to spend another hour with my boyfriend. My parents were adamant that I keep my bedroom door open, which didn't leave us to do much except talk.

"So, how'd I do?" He asked.

"Dad definitely doesn't hate you." I laughed.

"He's pretty funny."

"Don't tell me he's your new best friend." I said. "I don't think I could handle that."

"I think I'll keep Mark for a little while longer." He winked. "Speaking of, he's having another party this week."

"You know I can't."

"I think maybe you should talk to your parents. We can have you home at a decent time, and you can update them every hour."

"That seems like a bit much." I laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Great." he smiled, causing me to do the same. "Well, I should probably head out."

"Do you want a ride?"

"Nah, I think my bike will make it." I followed him downstairs to the front door, where I knew mom and dad were watching. It wasn't hard for me to sense them around.

"Thanks for coming." I opened the door, leaning against the frame as he walked out.

"Thanks for inviting me." He stood there for a moment. "They're totally watching, aren't they?" He whispered.

"Of course they are." I whispered back with a smile. I closed the door behind me just enough to block their view, giving Elliot a kiss. "Get home safe."

"I'll text you." He gave me a final goodbye kiss before riding away on his bike. I sighed, smiling like an idiot as I made my way back inside.

"Had to leave?" I heard my dad ask from the living room. As soon as I walked through the doorway, I saw both of my parents on the couch, a glass of wine in each of their hands.

"Don't pretend like you weren't just spying on me." I folded my arms.

"Not that there was anything to see." Mom took a sip guiltily.

"You two are terrible." I laughed.

"We're parents." Mom gave me a look before standing up. "I'm gonna go check on the boys."

"Right." I took her place next to dad. "Can we talk for a second?"

"Sure, what's up?" He placed his glass on the coffee table in front of us.

"I just get the feeling that you're feeling a little neglected."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. We used to hang out all the time and talk about everything, but I'm getting older and I'm trying to figure out my place in the world without you and mom. I can't rely on you forever. In two years, I'm gonna be going to college and things are going to be really different."

"I know."

"You also know that I'm always going to need you, right? Just like Alexis, I'll still call and come over when I can." I placed a hand on his. "You're always going to be my first best friend." I smiled.

"I better be." He hugged me close. "I love you, kid."

"I love you too, dad." I let go. "Now how about a game of Scrabble?"

"You really feel like losing tonight?"

"Wise words for an old man."

"Old? Who are you calling old?" He laughed, grabbing the game off the shelf behind us. I couldn't help but think about the future. Would I ever get over what happened? Would I ever forgive my parents for almost being too late? I needed to focus on this moment, here with my dad. But for some reason, all I could think about was Diego Price.

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct - Present Day**

After what had happened to Lily, Castle decided to come back to work with Kate, Ryan, and Espostio. While it was a traumatic experience, he couldn't help but dive back into the world of crime solving.

"You were serious about your new book idea, weren't you?" Beckett was working on some paperwork at her desk.

"Of course, it's a great idea." Castle said. "A young Chrysanthemum Heat, hiding the truth of her spy-filled nights from her mother, the one and only Nikki Heat." He used his 'vision' voice.

"Chrysanthemum?" Beckett looked up.

"I'm toying with flower names." He waved her off. "But doesn't it sound juicy?" He wiggled his brows.

"Castle, I love that you're getting back into the flow of writing, but don't you think we should keep this one private?"

"I mean, yeah, but I've always used real-life scenarios for my books." He frowned.

"Which was fine, because I was a grown woman who allowed you to use them. Lily is our daughter, who also only happens to be fifteen. What happened to her was really traumatic." Beckett said.

"It was just as traumatic for us." He replied. "But you're right. I should talk to her before I get too deep."

"And pick a better name than Chrysanthemum." She laughed.

"Hey, cap." Ryan entered the office, holding a file in his hands.

"What do we have?" She looked to him.

"There was a murder up town." He handed her the file. "Javi and I responded to it, but we need you two for this one."

"Because we're such a power duo?" Castle joked.

"Because it was Erica Lyons." Beckett stared at the file.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Castle asked.

"She was Diego Price's first victim."

"The one we questioned to find Lily." This caused the writer to tense up. "But who would kill her? Diego and Kitty are both locked up."

"Unless they aren't." Beckett put the file down. "I'm going to get a security detail on the house and the high school. If someone is trying to make a move for Lily, we'll be the first to know."

"We have Erica's parents here." Ryan said.

"I'd like to ask them the questions." Beckett stood up. "They're bound to know something."

"What should we do about Lily?" Castle asked.

"We don't even know if she's in danger yet. We aren't going to tell her." Beckett replied.

"Kate."

"Rick." They held eye contact for a few seconds. "Until we know what this is, we don't say a word. It could be something completely unrelated to what just happened."

"She's right, Castle. There's no use worrying and causing panic if it isn't necessary." Ryan added.

"If they're coming for my family again, I'll be ready." Beckett asserted. And she meant it.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay, well this one came faster than I expected it to. I just finished the series run-through again, and it makes me feel all the feels. I can't believe the show ended the way it did, but they had to do what they had to do I guess. I still think it's crap that Stana was fired from the show, but I'd rather not relive that mess lol.**

 **I thought I'd write one more pretty fluffy chapter before getting back to the gritty parts. This story has mostly been about Kate's relationship with Lily, so I think I'm going to really explore that over the next few chapters. I've always wondered how Kate Beckett would be as a mother, and find that it's complicated but fun to write and discover. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and hopefully I'll have another one up as quickly as this one!**

 **-Charahfan44**

* * *

 **The 12th Precinct - 2020**

Kate Beckett wasn't sure this was going to work. She had only just given birth to her twin boys five months before, and she was already back at work. Everyone had suggested she take more time off, but she was the Captain. She couldn't spend anymore time away from the precinct than necessary. She felt fine, she felt ready to work, but things were overwhelming with Castle's book tour starting. Alexis had come back to spend a few weeks helping Beckett with the kids, but it wasn't the same without Castle there. On days like this, she barely had time to drop Lily off with the nanny in the morning, and she had to bring the twins to work with her. Luckily, she had the best playard money could buy, and stuck them in there for as long as they would stay.

"You got a second, cap?" Esposito said, walking into the office.

"Shh!" She immediately put a finger to her lips. "They've been asleep for about twenty minutes." She whispered.

"Sorry." Espo whispered back. "I was just wondering if you had looked at my time off request yet."

"I'm sorry, Espo. I haven't had much time to review staff inquiries." She rubbed her face in her hands. "I'll look at it today."

"Not sleeping?" He sat down in the chair facing her desk.

"Not really." She sighed. "It's hard with Castle gone."

"I thought Alexis and Martha were helping?"

"They can only do so much. Alexis is trying to keep up with work and Martha has her final play." Beckett replied. Martha was retiring from acting after she finished a local production of Romeo and Juliet.

"Must be a lot." He nodded.

"You have no idea." She agreed. "With Lily it was easier. One kid is nothing compared to three."

"If you need me and Ryan to watch them for a bit so you can go get some air, just let us know. We'll make sure they stay put." He smiled.

"Thanks, Espo." She returned the smile.

"Speaking of, Jenny is pregnant with baby number five." He added. "I don't know how they do it."

"I can't imagine having five." She looked over at the boys, noticing Jake starting to wake up. "Three is plenty." She walked over to the playard, picking up the youngest of the two, bouncing him slightly as he rubbed his eyes.

"Which one is that?" Espo asked.

"This one is Jake." Beckett smiled at her son, who looked back at her with big eyes and a smile.

"How can you tell?"

"I don't really know." She frowned. "I guess a mother just can. Plus, I put him in green this morning." She winked.

"Color coding, smart."

"It helps on stressful days."

"Man, if I knew you were bringing the boys, I would've brought Charlie." Ryan appeared in the doorway. His youngest son was a year old, and full of energy.

"I'll warn you next time." She laughed. As if one cue, Reese started to cry. "Will you take Jake for me?" She handed him over to Ryan, grabbing Reese out of the playard next.

"They're getting so big." Ryan resumed the bouncing.

"You're telling me. We had to get them nine month clothes because they won't stop eating."

"How's Jake's heart thing?"

"We have him going to monthly check ups. Nothing new has happened, so they think he's going to be okay." Beckett explained. "The doctor says some kids just grow out of it." Reese stopped crying, laying his head on Beckett's shoulder.

"He definitely seems to be mommy's boy." Espo said.

"It's about time one of my kids is. They can't all like Castle better." She joked.

"Oh come on, Beckett. Still bitter about that?" Castle's voice sounded from the doorway.

"Castle?" Beckett walked over to her husband, planting a kiss on him. "What are you doing here?" She felt herself getting emotional.

"They cancelled my signing this weekend, so I thought I'd spend it at home instead of my secret bachelor pad in Chicago." He said with a sly smile. "Good thing I did, you stuck Lily with the crazy nanny."

"She isn't crazy." Beckett gave him a look.

"Anywho, I saved her all the same." He said.

"She's here?" Beckett asked, looking out the window of her office. "Castle, tell me you didn't give her crayons without paper."

"Of course not." He laughed. "It's me."

"Then why is she coloring Espo's desk?" Beckett raised a brow.

"What?" Esposito jumped out of the chair.

"Pretty." Lily looked up at her uncle with big brown eyes.

"Castle!" He yelled.

"Quick, Ryan, hand me the baby." Castle outstretched his arms.

"You are not using our son as a shield." Beckett said. "You did this all by yourself."

"Fine. We'll talk later." He ran out of the office, just before Esposito could reach him. They spent a good five minutes running through the halls of the precinct before settling down. Beckett shook her head as she watched, listening to Lily's tiny laugh ring through the main area. She loved her family, and she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

* * *

 **Dr. Lewis' Office - Present Day**

A few weeks had passed since my first session with the therapist, and things couldn't have been going better. Every week I seemed to open up a bit more, and accept things that I hadn't wanted to before. Things had been weird at home, and I knew my parents were keeping something from me.

"So, what's next?" I asked.

"What would you like to do next?" Dr. Lewis asked back.

"I don't know. I wish my mom and dad would be straight up with me instead of keeping me in the dark."

"Maybe they're trying to protect you." He suggested. "Parents tend to do that."

"And I get it. They want me to be safe, but how can I be safe if I don't know what I need to be safe from?"

"Why don't you ask them?"

"They're not the easiest people to talk to. My dad is, but my mom is like this steel trap. Once she has her mind set on something, she won't do anything else. If she doesn't want me to know what's up, I won't."

"I think that's our next step." He started writing on his notepad.

"What, me beating it out of her?" I laughed.

"No, we bring her in for a session."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." He replied. "A lot of your root pain has to do with her."

"What makes you say that?"

"You have a lot to say about her every session."

"Well duh, she's my mom." I joked. "Most kids have a lot to say about their parents."

"There's something unique about the way you see her. I think we should visit it with her here." He said. "But you need to have the courage to ask."

"I'll try." I shrugged. "I can't guarantee I'll get her here."

"All you can do is try." He smiled. "Unfortunately, our time is up." He pointed to the clock on the wall behind me.

"I'll see you next week." I stood up.

"Bring her along." He called after me as I left the room. Mom was waiting in a chair in the lobby today, which was odd.

"Hey." She smiled up at me. "Done?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "What're you doing up here?"

"I was early." I could tell she was lying.

"Okay." I didn't want to push it. As we walked down to the car, I couldn't help but notice her looking around. Without drawing too much attention, I looked at her side and saw her gun attached to her hip. "Mom?"

"What's up?" She opened my door for me.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Of course, why?"

"I just feel like there's something going on that you aren't telling me." I frowned.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, maybe the constant security detail, or the fact that you always have your gun on you?" I pointed to her waist. "It's not normal behavior."

"You noticed them, huh?"

"It wasn't hard." I said. "What is going on?"

"Get in." She nodded to the inside of the car. "I'll tell you on the way home."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Fine." I slid into the passenger seat, waiting for her to give me all of the details. We drove for a few minutes without a word, so I broke the tension. "Does it have anything to do with my kidnapping?"

"Maybe." She let out a breath. "We aren't sure."

"But there's a possibility?" I felt my heart start to race. "Am I going to get taken again?"

"No." She said it with such force that I was almost scared of her. "There is no way in hell that anyone is getting their hands on you again. I promise you that." She looked at me, then back to the road.

"What happened to freak you out?"

"When Diego Price first started his trafficking ring, he took a girl named Erica Lyons. They developed some kind of relationship, and he never sold her to anyone. When you went missing, we asked her if she knew where he was. And a few weeks ago, she turned up dead."

"So you think he's back?"

"We aren't sure. We've been tricked before." She replied. "We're just being overly cautious at this point."

"I get it." I nodded. "One-hundred percent. I'll keep the detail."

"I'm glad you agree with us, but you didn't really have a choice either way." She gave me a half-smile. "Look, we're going to find out who killed her. But until we do, I don't want you to worry. You're safe, and you're going to stay that way."

"I believe you." I said. "Oh, uh, Dr. Lewis wanted me to talk to you about something." I felt like now would be a good time to change the subject.

"Okay." She said.

"Well, he wanted me to ask you if you'd come sit in on the next session."

"Sure." She agreed. "Is there a certain reason?" She was smart enough to know that something was happening.

"He said that our relationship is weird." I tried summing his words up in the nicest way possible.

"How so?" She asked. I didn't know how to answer.

"I'm not exactly sure." I shrugged.

"Well, is there something we need to talk about?"

"Not necessarily."

"But there is _something_?" She was trying her best not to interrogate me, but she knew I was hiding something. It's funny, because I didn't even know what it was I was hiding.

"He just wanted me to ask you if you'd come."

"I'll be there."

"Are you sure? I know you're busy." I didn't want to face our problems, mostly because I didn't want to admit there were any.

"Lily," She looked at me, "I'm going to be there." I forced a smile before turning my head back to the window. I had to come clean to her. I had to tell her how I felt. But, I sure as hell didn't want to.

* * *

 **Thomas Jefferson Park - 2022**

Castle wasn't exactly sure where his youngest daughter had gotten her sports itch from. The writer had never really expressed an interest in sports, and Beckett hardly had time to watch baseball since the kids were born. She and Jim had taken Lily to one game when she was five, but other than that the home had been supplied with books and non-sports related toys. Today was Lily's very first soccer game. She had started kicking a ball the previous year, but Castle didn't sign her up until just a few months ago. She looked so cute in her little blue uniform, ready to go.

"Dad! Hey!" Alexis Castle walked up to her father, Jake and Reese on either side of her, holding her hands. "It was hard to find parking."

"I know, sorry about that." He gave a sheepish look.

"Gram should be here soon." She said. "Where's Lily?"

"Warming up over there." Castle pointed to a bunch of little figures running around laughing.

"I can't believe she wanted to play soccer." Alexis looked at her sister.

"Right?" Castle said loudly. "I thought she would've written a short story before picking up a ball." He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, so he dug it out and answered it.

"Castle, I'm not gonna make it." His wife's voice on the other end seemed upset.

"Everything okay?"

"There was a stabbing downtown, and we're short-staffed right now with Thanksgiving coming up. I have to go." She sighed. "Do you think she's going to be upset?"

"I don't know that she'll notice." He tried reassuring her. "There's so many of us here that it'll make up for you."

"If she asks, tell her I'm sorry." Beckett said. "I gotta go. Wish her luck for me." With that, she hung up.

"Beckett can't make it?" Alexis asked, noticing his facial expression.

"No." He looked down.

"No mommy?" Reese asked.

"No mommy." Castle picked his son up. "But we are going to cheer extra loud for Lily." He smiled. The four of them made their way over to the field, where the game was about to start.

"I didn't miss anything did I?" Martha glided elegantly toward her family.

"Mother, glad you could make it." Castle gave her a hug.

"It's a big occasion, of course I'm here." She replied. "Where's Katherine?"

"She had a case come up." Alexis gave her grandmother a 'don't-bring-it-up' look.

"Oh well, there will be plenty more games."

"Right, so let's just start by focusing on this one." Castle nodded to the field. "She looks so confident." He noticed his daughter among the other kids, a look of determination on her face.

"Yay Lily!" Jake yelled.

"Yay Lily!" Reese echoed. "Kick the ball!" The game started on time, and the family watched as Lily did her thing. Castle was amazed at how good she was at just seven years old. Although it didn't take much for a child of that age to be good, he recognized a certain skill she had when it came to the sport.

"You know, Richard, she's actually fairly good at this." Martha said over the cheering sidelines.

"I completely agree with you for once." He said back. The game raged on, and was over in a matter of forty minutes. Lily's team lost, which clearly caused some upset in her eyes.

"You played really well." Alexis tried cheering the younger Castle up. "You scored two goals!"

"But we lost." Lily hung her head.

"I have a hard time losing, Lil. You'll learn to deal with it." Castle placed a hand on his daughter's back. "It'll sting for a bit, but you'll feel better after some ice cream."

"Ice cream?" She looked up at her father. "Are we talking double scoop?"

"For the way you played, we'll make it triple." He was amazed at how old she was already sounding. The ride to their favorite parlor downtown was fun, filled with sing alongs and endless amounts of giggling. Castle made sure that Lily didn't feel the absence of Beckett. They all got home at a decent time, finishing the afternoon with the worlds longest game of Chutes and Ladders.

"You're going down, old man." Lily gave her father her best intimidating glare.

"In your dreams, young grasshopper." He returned the look.

"I don't know, dad. She seems pretty determined." Alexis said in amusement.

"The only person who's ever beat your father at a board game is Katherine." Martha reminded her granddaughter.

"I don't know, it looks like that's about to change." Beckett walked through the doorway to the living room.

"Mommy!" The boys rushed their mother in a heap of energy.

"Shh! You're ruining my concentration." Lily warned, keeping her eyes on the board. Taking one final spin, she closed her eyes and held her breath.

"Are you kidding me?" Castle's voice caused the little girl to open her eyes. She had spun the exact number to get her the win.

"Ha!" She jumped up. "I told you!"

"That was amazing." Alexis gave her a high five.

"I've never felt so defeated." Castle frowned.

"Not even when I beat you at Scrabble three games in a row?" Beckett teased.

"No, because you made up for it with an even better game." He gave her a mischievous grin, remembering their night of strip poker. She shot him a glance, causing the two of them to laugh at the inside joke.

"How was the game?" Beckett looked to her daughter.

"Fine." Lily shrugged.

"That's all I get?"

"Lily did great. I think we should keep signing her up as long as she wants." Castle replied.

"Honestly, I don't know that I've ever been more on edge watching a seven-year-old kick a ball around." Alexis agreed.

"Five star review on your soccer debut." Martha winked.

"How about we don't talk about it?" Lily snapped, running up to her room.

"Did they win?" Beckett asked.

"No." Castle said. "But we had fun after the game."

"She wasn't upset a few minutes ago." Alexis added.

"I think I know what changed." Beckett sighed. "I've got this one." She made her way up the stairs to Lily's room, already knowing what to expect when she walked in. She was changing out of her soccer uniform, and into her favorite set of purple pajamas.

"I don't want to talk to you." Lily had no problems being blunt.

"Jammies already, huh?" Beckett sat on the twin bed. "You must be pretty mad at me."

"You should've been there." Lily avoided her mother's eyes.

"I'm sorry, baby. I wanted to be there, and I had every intention to be, but something came up."

"Something always comes up." She frowned.

"Hey, look at me," Beckett took the child's hands in hers, "I don't want you to think that anything is more important to me than you or your brothers. I would do anything for the three of you. But, sometimes my job takes me away from the important things."

"Why?"

"Because as important as you are, I can help someone else who was just as important to their family too." Beckett did her best to explain it in a way that Lily would understand. It didn't usually take much dumbing down for the seven-year-old. After only two years at her private school, it was obvious she was gifted with an extraordinary brain.

"I wish you were there."

"I promise you, I'll be at the next one."

"You won't break it?" Lily met Beckett's eyes.

"Cross my heart." She stated. "But I do want to hear about how good you were today. How about we go back downstairs, and spend some time with the rest of our family?"

"Okay." A smile spread across Lily's face. The two walked hand in hand back down to the rest of the group. Beckett looked around as Lily reenacted the best parts of the game, with the help of the boys of course. She loved her family, and she wanted to make sure they never felt neglected again.


End file.
